Knight and Day: August's Story
by AlyssaHolloway
Summary: What if June was the guardian to her teenage cousin? Meet August Havens, a fifteen year old girl yanked into her cousin's crazy adventure with Roy Miller. Told mostly from August's eyes, this follows the basic plot of the movie with some added twists.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi! My name's Alyssa, and welcome to my fanfiction for Knight and Day. This story will be about the movie from the eyes of August Havens, June's teenage cousin who she is the guardian of. I'm going to stick to the basic plotline, but there will be some added twists! I hope that you will like it!**_

Knight and Day: August's Story

Chapter 1

"Come on, August!" my cousin June yelled as she tugged her fat suitcase through the Wichita International Airport. I rolled my eyes before following her. You're probably wondering who I am. My name's August Marie Havens. I'm fifteen years old, of average height, and I have dark blond hair and brown eyes.

Anyway, June Havens is my guardian since my parents died in a car accident when I was thirteen. We're in Wichita because my cousin is a car restorer and she needed some spare parts and in her words, "Kansas has the best scrap." She had picked up the parts today and we were heading back to Boston in time to get fitted for our bridesmaids' dresses for June's sister, April's wedding.

June had just gone up the escalator with me trailing behind when she ran into a short, handsome guy that looked a lot like Tom Cruise. I groaned with embarrassment as the guy politely helped my cousin pick up her suitcase.

"Sorry about that," I apologized to the man. "My cousin's a klutz."

"August!" June scolded. The Tom Cruise look-a-like only smiled understandingly to me.

"It was my fault," he admitted. "I was on my phone and didn't look where I was going." He smiled again. "You girls have a good flight." He then walked away.

June pulled me aside after he left. "I will kill you if you do that again."

I laughed and ran towards the security checkpoint. June muttered under her breath about "little cousins being a pain in the neck" before lugging her bag full of car parts to the metal detector. I put my suitcase on the conveyor belt and waited for June's bag to be inspected by the security guy.

As I waited, I saw the same guy June had run into getting his suitcase checked. He gave me a small smile and I caught June giving him nonchalant glances. I groaned again. _He can so tell that she's checking him out! Why is she so embarrassing? _Just then, June's bag finished being inspected and we headed over to our gate.

On our way there, June bumped into the same guy again! I smacked my palm to my face and pretended that I didn't know her.

"This is getting to be a habit," I heard the guy joke. June laughed nervously and got her bag. "Boston?" he asked.

"Yeah," June said almost in awe.

"Gate 12," he said. I rolled my eyes. _We're not that stupid. _June didn't say anything, but smiled. I had to pull her towards the gate so we wouldn't be late getting on our flight. I didn't care about the handsome guy that had captured my cousin's eye.

The guy followed us to Gate 12 and I realized with annoyance that he was going to Boston, too. _What a flight home this will be. June will be falling all over that guy the whole way back. Good thing I have my iPod or else I would be in a living nightmare._

The boarding agent took a ticket from the man in front of us and then it was our turn. June handed over our boarding passes. The woman looked them over and frowned. "I'm sorry. You're not on this flight." _Hallelujah! _I thought. _I won't have to listen to June trying to flirt with that guy! _At this point, I wasn't thinking of how we were supposed to get back home.

"…we just checked in for this one, like, 10 minutes ago," June was saying. "That must be some sort of mistake."

"I'm sorry, the computer shows that we're booked," the boarding agent said with an apologetic smile. Now, I realized what was going on and the Havens wit came out.

"Listen, Sharry," I said a little forcefully, looking at her nametag. "Tomorrow my cousin- her little sister- is getting married." That was a lie, but hey, whatever works. I'd lied my way out of many situations before. June was a little shocked, but she played along.

"Yes, I practically raised her," June agreed in my defense.

"I'm sorry, but we are completely sold out," Sharry apologized. I could tell that she was getting frustrated.

"Listen, can you help us out for a second?" June asked politely. "She's my little sister. She's April, I'm June. My cousin over here is August. April's counting on me to march her down the aisle tomorrow. And August is really excited to be a bridesmaid." I nodded in agreement, even though I wasn't that excited to get in a poofy dress and stand in heels for five hours during the reception.

"That's very sweet," Sharry said with a smile. "But the 11:50 will get you there tomorrow morning with plenty of time. Your boarding pass, sir?" she asked June's crush. I shrugged my shoulders at June, who I knew was disappointed. Tom Cruise's twin gave us an understanding look.

"Sometimes things happen for a reason," he said mysteriously. I was confused. _That's something that you would put on a bumper sticker! What kind of line is that?_

"Enjoy your flight, Mr. Miller," Sharry told him in almost relief. She was probably happy that he didn't argue with her like we did. He thanked her and got on the plane. June gazed after him, a tiny bit sad. _She's wishing that she was with him, _I thought with amusement.

"Come on, June," I said, taking her bag of car parts from her. "Let's go sit down and decide what to do next."

~*O*~

FBI Agent Fitzgerald was sitting in the back seat of his SUV, watching surveillance footage of Roy Miller running into two young blond women. He was also listening to his superior, Isabel George, director of counter-intel, chew him out about Miller.

"He came undone," Fitzgerald told her. "I should've seen it coming."

"Coming undone in our business means you need a margarita," she said angrily. "It doesn't mean capping a dozen people in a government lab and blowing it up. It doesn't mean stealing an object of critical importance. Does he have the Zephyr or not?"

"We believe so," Fitzgerald said gingerly, knowing he was walking on eggshells.

"Uh-huh. You believe so," Isabel said in disbelieve.

"Check this out," the agent beside Fitz whispered. Fitz ignored Isabel's lecturing to lean over and see what the younger agent was babbling about. His eyes grew wide.

"Play it again," he said quickly. "We'll have the Zephyr in hand by the time Miller lands in Boston." Fitz then hung up without saying goodbye. He looked at the surveillance monitor again and watched Miller talking to the two women. "Find out who and what they are," he ordered.

"Should I have the office in Wichita pick them up?" the other agent asked.

"No. I got a better idea." Fitz picked up his cell phone and made a quick call to the Wichita airport. _Got you, Miller._

~*O*~

I leaned back against the uncomfortable airport seat, chewing on a red gummy bear. I had gotten them from one of the many gift shops for our flight, but now I was starved. Besides, it wasn't like we were going to be flying or anything. I looked over at June, who was deep in thought.

"Want a gummy bear?" I offered. "I haven't eaten any of the green ones. I know they're your favorites."

"No thanks."

"You're thinking about that dreamy Mr. Miller, aren't you? Because we're not going to see him again, you know."

"I know, but he was so nice and polite. So unlike my exes."

"Oh, June!" I cried, exasperated. "You just need to get over him." June grinned before getting a magazine out of her bag and settling back in her seat to read.

I was bored, so I watched people hurry to their flights or to security. I made up a game where I tried to figure out who the rushed passengers were. For example, a young couple came by our seats, giggling like little schoolgirls. I instantly knew that they were honeymooners. June kept herself occupied with her magazine.

"Are we going to go back to the hotel?" I asked, tired of sitting on the fake leather seats and gazing at people traveling to Hawaii. "It's getting late." I added hopefully.

"There might be another plane coming," June replied without looking up. "Or maybe a seat will open up on the earlier flight."

"It's been ten minutes!"

"You never know."

Just then, Sharry, the evil boarding agent, came walking over towards us. "Miss Havens?" she asked.

"Yeah?" June and I answered at the same time.

The brunette woman smiled. "Miss June Havens. We were able to find two seats for the both of you."

"Ask and you shall receive," June told me before getting her things. I put my gummy bears back and put my magenta carry on bag on my shoulder. We both followed Sharry over to Gate 12 and headed down the connecting tunnel to the airplane. Little did we know what was going to happen next. If I did, I never would have gotten on that plane.

_**A/N: End of Chapter 1! I hope that you all enjoyed it! I know that it's short, but I wanted to split the chapters up by location. So, Chapter 2 will involve the airplane! How will August react to Roy Miller's true self? You'll have to wait to find out! :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I tugged my suitcase down the connecting tunnel, ignoring June as she lectured Sharry. "I know it's policy or whatever and it's just your job, but it's kind of lame," she complained.

"June, just shut up!" I groaned as I hurried onto the plane.

"Again, I apologize," Sharry said grudgingly. She then left the plane. June immediately spotted Mr. Miller and made a beeline down the aisle to him. Not wanting to listen to her pathetic attempts of flirting, I chose the seat behind her. I quickly stored my suitcase in the overhead compartment and shoved my carry on bag underneath the seat before sticking in my headphones and picking some random song to listen to.

I had just ordered a Coke from the flight attendant when I noticed that there were only seven people tops on the plane. _That's weird. Why did the computer say that the flight was booked when there are only a few people on board? _I shrugged my shoulders and focused on watching a Castle episode on my iPod.

A little while later, June reached back and shook me. I took out a headphone. "What?" I asked, very annoyed.

"Roy, this is my cousin August," June said. I realized that she was introducing me to Mr. Miller.

"Hi," I said without taking my eyes off my iPod.

"It's nice to meet you," Roy replied.

"Okay, before you start asking, I'm fifteen, a sophomore, I don't play sports; I'm in choir, and I get all A's and a few B's. Got it? Good."

Roy was a little stunned and June was fuming. I knew that she didn't like my answers. "August Marie…" she started to say.

"Tequila on the rocks?" the flight attendant asked June. _Saved by the bell._

"Yes, thank you," June answered while accepting the drink. She gave me a look that meant: _This discussion isn't over. _Roy was quick to change the subject.

"So…your sister's getting married tomorrow?" he implored.

"Excuse me?" June responded. She apparently had forgotten my lie. I decided to remind her before she made a complete fool of herself.

"Remember, June?" I said. "April's getting hitched tomorrow."

"Congratulations," Roy put in.

"Oh, thanks," June said a little absentmindedly. She turned away and I saw that she was about to tell the truth.

"Don't do it," I whispered through gritted teeth. All was silent between the three of us for a few moments. Then, June opened her big mouth.

"You know, Roy, I'm a bad liar. Even August can lie better than me. April is getting married, but not till Saturday."

Roy seemed impressed. "You had me fooled."

"Well, we do have a fitting tomorrow," I said truthfully. "So, we do actually have to get back home." The plane began to shake then. "Ugh, I hate turbulence," I stated.

"I hope it won't be a rough flight," June said hopefully. Roy looked behind his shoulder at the passengers in the last few rows. I could barely hear him, but he whispered,

"It might be." I gave him a strange look, but shook it off as he changed the subject again. "Wichita's a long way to go for a carburetor."

_Oh, no, here we go. _I groaned inwardly. _June's going to tell her GTO sob story again. Poor sucker._

"…I'm restoring a '66 GTO." June explained.

"It was her dad's," I interrupted. "He bought the chassis when she and April were kids and died before he could finish it. She decided to fix it up for April's wedding present."

"It's also like a present from my dad, too," June added sentimentally.

"That's nice," Roy said. _At least he doesn't seem bored like the last ten people she told it to. Or maybe it's because I summarized it for her. _ And then June started telling her dream. _Oh, great. _

"I used to think that…" She paused then to sigh. "…someday, when the last part went in, I would just climb into that GTO and start it up. And I would just drive and drive and drive, and just keep driving until I got to the tip of South America."

"Cape Horn," Roy whispered.

"Yeah," June said, almost in surprise. I was, too. No one, not even June's most tolerant ex, Rodney, had been this interested in June's GTO fantasies. _This guy is different._

"There are beautiful islands down there," Roy was saying.

"Yeah?" I asked. He looked back at me and grinned.

"Pirate islands," he joked. Both June and I laughed. "Yeah, 'someday'. That's a dangerous word," Roy said mostly to himself.

"Dangerous?" June and I inquired at the same time.

"It's really just a code for 'never'," he continued. As he finished speaking, he gave a sad smile. I wondered what he had never gotten to do that made him think of 'someday' that way. "I think a lot about things I haven't done." It seemed like I was getting my answer. "Dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Ride the Orient Express. Live on the Amalfi Coast with nothing but a motorcycle and a backpack. Kiss a stranger on the balcony of the Hotel Du Cap."

"Where's that?" I wondered aloud.

"South of France," Roy told me. I nodded. None of my dreams were that grand. Graduate. Go to college. Get married and have a few kids. I did want to go to Spain one day with my Spanish class if June ever let me. She was worried that I would end up like that Natalee Holloway girl. I mean, come on, I wasn't that dumb!

"What's your list?" I realized that Roy was asking me.

"Um…I'd like to go to Spain," I said. June gave me a look.

"August, no," she scolded. "That's too dangerous for you."

"Natalee Holloway?" Roy asked me.

"Yep," I replied.

Just then, the plane shook like it was in an earthquake. June's suitcase fell out of the overhead compartment and was heading towards her! She yelped in fear, but Roy grabbed the bag before it hit her. "Wow," she whispered. "Thanks."

"No problem," Roy placed the suitcase in a compartment further up the aisle. I then saw that June's tequila was all over her shirt.

"Real smooth, June," I muttered.

"You know what? I'm going to go use the restroom," June said quickly while grabbing her purse. The stupid plane trembled again, almost knocking her down. Roy caught her.

"Here, I'll help you." He led her back to the back of the plane where the restroom was. He glanced back at me. "August, why don't you freshen up, too?" Roy suggested while looking over his shoulder. I followed his gaze, but didn't see anything unusual. I let myself relax.

"Too late," I said with a grin. "June will be in there for a few hours and she'll never let anyone in."

Roy seemed to visibly deflate. "Well, you better watch out." He forced my head down and I shrieked a little. As I looked up from the nasty airplane floor, I saw Roy shove a syringe into one of the passenger's neck.

"What are you doing?" I screamed as the guy collapsed. Roy pushed me into a vacant row of seats before attacking another man.

"Saving your life." He then smacked the man's head into an overhead compartment. I shrieked again as the guy cried out in pain.

"Roy, what the heck is going on?" I yelled as another guy began attacking Roy. "I mean, you aren't supposed to kill people!" Roy knocked the guy into a row of seats across the aisle and broke his neck with the arm rest. My eyes grew wide as I heard the sickening _crunch._ As soon as he finished killing that guy, yet another one came up behind him.

"Look out!" I warned. Roy punched him in the face and broke his neck. Another assassin tried to shoot him with a dart, but hit the flight attendant instead. Roy hurried over to her, dropping Broken Neck Guy in the process.

"Ma'am? Ma'am?" he asked quickly. The flight attendant head-butted him.

"Great, now the crew is trying to kill you!" I groaned as the flight attendant tried to strangle him. I got up and kicked her in the back. "Eat that, blondie!" She let go of Roy in time for him to push her into another assassin. They both fell onto the floor.

"August, stay down!" Roy shoved me into my seat. He grabbed a seat cushion to protect his lower region right as a knife was about to puncture it. "Not cool," he said with a frown. He pulled the knife out and threw it at a killer that was going to shoot him. He fell against a window.

The final assassin threw the knife at Roy's face, but Roy used the seat cushion again. He snatched a seat belt to deflect the knife as the assassin went for another try. Roy then hit him in the face with the buckle. "Ouch," I whispered.

Roy twirled the seat belt in front of him, preventing the assassin from stabbing him with the knife. "Roy, this isn't the time to show off!" I yelled. "The guy is trying to kill you!"

"Yeah, listen to the little lady," the assassin said as the buckle got stuck in the arm rest. He kicked Roy in the stomach, sending him flying into the back wall.

"Roy, you idiot," I muttered. "I'm going to die." Just then, I felt someone grab me. I screamed in fright as the cold metal of a gun was held against my temple. Roy was in equal shock. I yanked my head around and saw that it was the male flight attendant.

"It's over, Roy," the man said coldly. "You better give up before this girl has a bullet scarring her pretty face." He began to drag me towards the emergency exit and I knew what he planned to do with me. I elbowed him in the stomach and hit the deck, leaving Roy to take care of the rest.

I began to crawl to the front of the plane, not wanting to see another man get killed. Then, I heard my own name. "Why are June and August Havens on the plane? Tell me," Roy was ordering the flight attendant. "Why did Fitz put them on the plane?" A bullet flew over my head and went into the flight attendant's forehead. I shrieked and hid in an empty row by one of the dead bodies.

"Don't move, Miller," the pilot ordered. Roy ducked as bullets began flying everywhere. I looked at the body beside me and saw a gun clutched in his hand. I pulled his cold fingers off it.

"Ew, ew, ew," I groaned. "Roy, gun!" I slid it to him.

"Thanks, August." He leaned into the aisle and shot the pilot in the chest. As the pilot fell, his gun went off and shot the co-pilot, killing him.

"Oh my GOSH!" I yelled as I got off the dirty floor. "You killed the pilots!" Roy stuck a hand over my mouth to shush me.

"Just stop screaming. I don't want to freak June out. Let me talk to her first. Wait in here." He brought me to the cockpit and tossed me inside, leaving me alone with two dead bodies.

"Roy!" I wailed, trying not to step on the poor dead pilot. Roy opened the door.

"Yes, August?"

"Why can't I be out there?"

"You'll put it all out of proportion. Trust me, I can handle it."

"Roy, you just killed seven people! It's already out of proportion!"

"Just give me a few minutes. I'll tell June gently about the situation. You keep an eye on things in there. Got it?"

"How are you going to explain the blood and the dead bodies?"

"I'll find a way." He shut the door and I tried not to look at the dead pilots. I instead leaned against the cockpit door to listen to Roy and June's conversation.

"Where's August?" June was asking Roy.

"She's hanging out with the pilots in the cockpit. She'll be back in a little bit." _He's a good liar,_ I thought to myself. I opened the door a crack and saw my cousin making out with Roy, the murderer. _Oh, that is so gross. _I closed it again, not wanting to see any more.

"…Listen, there's no need to panic," Roy explained to June. "I have contained the situation."

"Situation?" June was confused.

"Yeah. We've…uh…lost the pilots."

"Where did they go?" _Yep, she's drunk._

"I mean, they're dead."

"The pilots are dead." _No freaking out? That's so unlike June. Then again, she is drunk._

"Shot."

"Shot?" I could tell that June thought it was a joke. "By who?"

"Well, me. Actually, I shot the first pilot. He shot the second pilot accidentally. It's just…one of those things." Roy was very calm and collected as he spoke. _Has he done this before? Oh my gosh! _June then began to laugh hysterically. _She has no idea what's going on. Meanwhile, I'm stuck in here with two dead bodies!_

"Seriously, this is great!" June giggled. I rolled my eyes. _We're doomed._

"I'm relieved that you're taking this so well." Roy headed up towards me and the cockpit.

"Where are you going?" June asked.

"I'm just going to check on August and things and think about landing." He walked into the cockpit.

"Thank God!" I said, relieved. "It's very freaky in here!" Roy picked up the copilot and set him on the ground.

"Sit right here, August," Roy said while patting the seat. "June can sit behind me." He put on a headset and started calling an airport tower. The plane began to rapidly head towards the ground. I heard June scream from the main cabin.

"Looks like June found out the hard way," I said as she came running into the cockpit.

"Everybody's dead in there!" she shrieked. She then saw the dead pilots on the floor. "Everybody's dead in here, too," she whimpered.

"Come on in, sit down," Roy said while pointing to the other seat. "Mayday, mayday, mayday," he said into the headset. "I'm declaring an emergency."

"Oh my gosh, are we going down?" June asked.

"I'm sorry?" Roy looked up from what he was doing.

"Are we going down?" June repeated.

"Yes, June," I said soothingly. "Now do exactly what Roy says."

"Well, it's more of a rapid descent," Roy explained. "Please, sit down."

"_Please state your emergency, Midland 77," _the guy on the radio asked.

"I've heard enough of this guy," Roy turned off the radio.

"Aren't we supposed to tell him what's going on?" I yelled. "That you _killed_ everyone on board this plane?"

"You killed all of those people?" June looked like she was about to pass out. Roy helped her fasten the straps on her seat. "Are you a pilot? Who are you?"

"June, shut up!" I wanted to strangle her.

"Gear down, showdown," Roy pulled on a lever and the landing gear came out.

"Why can't we just land in an airport?" June implored.

"No, no, that wouldn't be a good idea. They'll be waiting for us," Roy replied without looking up from the controls.

"What do you mean, waiting for us?" I questioned. "Who?"

"I think the less you both know, the better." Roy grew quiet. "Okay, we're going to touch down here." The clouds drew back, revealing a bunch of cornfields and a few houses.

"Oh, crap. Oh my gosh!" June screamed.

"June, I swear on my mother's grave, I will smack you!" At this point, I was very stressed out from witnessing seven murders and now we were about to crash into a cornfield. Roy brought the plane down towards a country road behind a semi.

"That's a truck!" June and I both shrieked.

"Yep."

"That's a truck! That's a TRUCK!"

We landed on the road, right behind the truck. But, right before we hit it, Roy veered off the road and into a neighboring cornfield. June and I screamed.

"That's a curve!" June screamed as we went through a fence.

"Shut up!" I yelled. "Roy sees it!" The plane fell onto the dirt, breaking the landing gear and throwing me forward against the control panel. I blacked out for a few moments, but woke up to June shrieking in my ear. Roy was still calm and collected as if he was on a Sunday drive. The plane finally came to a stop, throwing us forward one last time. June and I both groaned at the same time.

Roy helped us get our bags and get off the plane. We started walking back to the road. First, we stopped to catch our breath a little ways away from the plane.

"Okay, this is good," Roy said while setting the first aid kit on a pile of dirt. "August, let me see your head." I let him examine it and he cleaned it with some antiseptic. He handed me a pill and a bottle of water. "To prevent infection." I swallowed it and kept drinking the water, trying to grasp what had happened in the last few hours. Meanwhile, Roy gave June a flask of what I supposed was scotch or whiskey.

"Take a sip of that," he told her. "It'll take the edge off." June instantly took a big swig along with another smaller one. I glanced over at Roy, who was taking off his shirt.

"Oh my gosh, are you shot?" I asked. He looked down at it.

"Yeah, how about that?" He was so nonchalant about being shot! "It's just a scrape. That's good news." Roy began to clean it. "June, August, we have to discuss what's going to happen next."

"You need to go to the hospital," June suggested. "Prison, maybe?"

"Some people are going to come looking for both of you now. Bad people," he continued. I wasn't paying attention. In fact, I felt like I might pass out.

"You know, I feel a little weird," June said.

"So do I," I agreed.

"Oh, yeah, that'll pass once you fall asleep, which should be in a couple of minutes," Roy put a big bandage on his wound.

"Wait a minute, did you drug us?" I said accusingly.

"Well, yes, but I need you both to listen."

"You drugged us!" June was in shock.

"Yeah, it's for your own good. Now, look. These bad people, who are going to come and see you two, they're going to ask you about me. Okay? And you need to tell them you don't know me." I was beginning to see twin Roy's at this point and June almost collapsed, but Roy helped her sit down. "June? August?"

"I'm still here," I said groggily. My head felt heavy and it was hard to stay awake.

"You need to tell them you don't remember anything." Roy was still talking. "And you need to avoid getting in any vehicle with them at all costs."

"Okay, who are them?" June asked.

"Well, they're serious people. They'll probably identify themselves as federal agents, and they'll DIP you both." By now, I couldn't focus at all, and Roy and June's voices began to fade in and out.

"…I'm mentally unstable, paranoid…"

"…already convinced."

"...they're going to kill you…"

"…don't get in any vehicles…"

"…just run…"

"Who are you, Roy?" I whispered as I finally lost consciousness and everything faded away.

_**End of Chapter 2! Next chapter will involve June and August's Boston adventures! Hope you all enjoyed this!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I weakly opened my eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight coming through the window. _Wait, window?_ I sat up quickly, a little too quickly. I doubled over with a migraine. _Darn you, Roy._ I looked around and saw my pink paisley bedspread. _I'm in my room! Was last night only a dream?_

I then noticed the bottle of ibuprofen and glass of water on my nightstand. As I took the pill, the orange sticky note stuck to my lamp caught my eye. _August, I enjoyed meeting you. Roy._

"Oh my gosh, that wasn't a dream." I grabbed the note and ran down the hallway to June's room, almost running into her in the process.

"August, did you find a note?" she asked while gasping for air.

"Yeah," I said as I waved it in the air. June snatched it out of my hand and read it.

"Mine says the same thing, except it has my name at the top. Let's go downstairs and check the news. Maybe they'll mention the plane crash." She pushed me towards the stairs. It was only then that I realized I was wearing the same clothes as last night: jeans and a pink t-shirt. I glanced at June and saw that she was wearing the same thing as well.

We hurried down the stairs to our kitchen. June was flipping through channels when I smelled something delicious. "June, did you cook breakfast?" I asked, trying to find the source of the yummy smell.

"No, I just got up." She sounded annoyed. "Go get some cereal." I went over to our kitchen and felt something in my pocket. It was another orange sticky note.

"Eat a good breakfast, August," I read. I saw the covered skillet on the stove and took the lid off. There, on the pan, were two perfect omelets. June was still peeled to the T.V.

"Shhh, August! They're talking about the crash." She turned up the volume.

"_According to FAA sources, at approximately 7:30 last night, all contact was lost with a Boston-bound commuter jet from Wichita," _the news reporter was saying. _"The plane was apparently passing through an area of turbulence and may have met up with wind shear or a lightning storm, causing an electrical failure." _We heard a knock at the door, but didn't get up to answer it. _"Now, this is all conjecture at this point, as all that's left is a crater in an Indiana cornfield." _ June and I then got up to go open the door.

"Coming!" June yelled.

"Hold your horses!" I added as we ran down the stairs to our front door. I got there first and found the sticky note stuck to the door. _Remember. Don't tell anyone. _June opened the door before I got a chance to show her. We both peeked outside to see a guy walking down the street away from our townhouse.

"Rodney?" June asked. I was surprised when I saw June's ex turn around and walk towards us. Rodney Burris is a firefighter at Engine 10 in Boston. June dated him for about a year and he did propose to her. But, she turned him down since she wasn't ready to be engaged. I was pretty ticked off at him because he went off on her when she said no.

"Get out of here, jerkface!" I yelled at him.

"August!" June exclaimed while pushing me back into the townhouse. "Go watch T.V. or something."

"Don't go back to him, June," I warned. "I have connections now to get rid of him."

"August Marie!" June stepped outside and shut the door on me. That didn't stop me, though. I simply went to the living room window to eavesdrop.

"I can tell August is okay," Rodney was joking.

"Yeah," June replied. "She's still kind of mad at you."

"Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you both were okay."

"Yeah, we are. Why?"

"You were on that flight from Kansas, right?

"Yeah."

"I heard on the news that it crashed." _Oh, June, don't tell him…_I thought. _Roy told us not to._

"What news? What crash?" I could tell June was trying to bluff her way out of the conversation.

"Anyway, you're alive."

"Yes, we're alive."

"Sure, that's cool. Hey, but, June, you know…I told myself that if I found you alive…" Rodney and June both laughed, June a little nervously. "…that I was going to ask you to dinner." I was fuming inside the living room. _If she says yes, I swear…_

"How about I call you later, okay?" June headed back inside.

"You said yes!" I accused.

"No, I said that I would call him."

"Which is girl speak for 'yes'!"

"Just go take a shower. April's expecting us at the bridal shop in an hour and a half. Don't forget to grab your dance stuff since you have dress rehearsal right afterward." She went back upstairs to the kitchen. I took that the discussion was over and did what I was told. An hour later, June and I were in her truck heading to the bridal shop to meet April.

"This is just another day. Another normal day." June was trying to reassure herself.

"It's okay, June," I soothed. "Besides, if any one comes after us, all we have to say is we don't know who Roy is. Simple."

"I guess you're right."

We pulled in front of the shop and went inside. We found April trying on a gorgeous white gown and veil. She looked lovely, with the veil placed perfectly over her blond hair. She was also wearing a beautiful diamond headband that was holding the veil onto her head. April gave us a big smile as we came towards her.

"You look beautiful," I complemented her. April smiled.

"Thank you, August. Oh, and I'm sorry, but I wasn't able to get a bridesmaid's dress in your size since a lot of the other girls had your same size and it's a very popular design. But, I was able to find this." April picked up a garment bag and pulled out basically the exact same dress as June was trying on except it was teal instead of yellow and it was a halter top instead of small sleeves. I personally thought it was prettier than the yellow dress.

"Thanks, April!" I ran into the dressing room to try it on. When I came out, I found April teasing June about her boots with the yellow dress. I thought it was pretty funny, too since June isn't really a girly girl and barely ever wears dressy clothing.

About fifteen minutes later, the other bridesmaids came in and began to get fitted for their dresses. I got my dance bag and went to get my hair and makeup done before my dress rehearsal. I take jazz dance at a local dance studio during the summer. My recital was next week, but we had a dress rehearsal today. I would have time to change into my outfit at the studio, but no time for hair and makeup. So, I was forced to do them at the bridal shop. I went into the small bathroom and got to work. Soon, my waist length blond hair was up in a preppy 80's ponytail (Our show's theme was 80's) and I had "stage makeup" on. (Basically, dark eye shadow up to my eyebrow, dark mascara, bright red lipstick, and bright pink blush.) I looked like a clown, but that's how my dance teacher wanted it.

I walked out of the bathroom to weird stares from everyone except June and April. I didn't care since I was used to being stared at because of my stage makeup. "So this weekend, I was thinking about Dad's GTO," April was telling June. _I hope that she doesn't spoil June's surprise, _I thought.

"Really?" June looked really excited. I was, too.

"Yeah, it's just sitting there." April took off her veil. "And I was wondering how you would feel about maybe selling it."

"Selling it?" I repeated in shock.

"You want to sell Dad's GTO?" I could tell that June was very upset. I would be as well if I had put three months of hard work into that car. My hands balled into fists at my sides as I fought to keep myself from screaming at April.

"Ben and I, we really want our own place," April explained. _But June wanted you to have your dad's special gift! _I screamed inside my head. I almost started to argue with her when a strange voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Excuse me?" a man in a black suit asked as he walked in. "Excuse me. Anyone here belong to that blue truck parked outside?"

"Yeah, we do," June pointed to me and her. "Why?"

"You're about to get a ticket." I groaned in frustration. June quickly grabbed her purse and went to the door. I also grabbed mine in case she didn't have enough money and followed her, leaving my dance bag behind.

"Thought I put enough quarters in there," June muttered while rooting through her purse for her wallet.

"Yeah," the guy said.

"I hate getting tickets," June said. All of a sudden, I noticed that there were a lot of men in black suits around us. I had a bad feeling about them.

"June," I said through gritted teeth. "Run." Quick as a flash, I ran away from the group and down the street, trying not to run into anybody. I wasn't very far away when someone caught my wrist with an iron grip. I whipped around and saw it was a brown haired guy wearing sunglasses.

"Miss Havens, I'm Special Agent Fitzgerald. Would you join us in the car for a moment?"

"No," I gasped while attempting to break free of his grasp. He ended up half dragging me back to the car and tossing me into the back seat alongside June. Fitzgerald then got in beside me and shut the door. The black SUV then sped away from the small bridal shop, with me and June frightfully peering out the tinted window.

I glared at Fitzgerald, who I knew must be the guy in charge. "What do you want with us?" I asked coldly. He looked at me like a hawk sizing up a helpless mouse. I shied away from him.

"You must be the feisty one," he said while pulling out a manila folder from a briefcase. He handed it to June. We both gasped when we saw a big picture of Roy Miller on the first page. "We know that you both were on the flight with him last night. The one that crashed." I gulped as I tried to find a possible lie to answer him with.

June glanced up at the ceiling for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Who are you again?" she implored.

"FBI," Fitzgerald said quickly. "You do know Mr. Miller."

"No, we don't," I argued. I was extremely freaked out, but somehow managed to keep my cool. The agent gave me a look that I interpreted as he knew I was lying. He then pushed a button on a control panel in front of him. A big monitor that I hadn't noticed burst into color. June and I's eyes grew wide as we watched security footage of Roy bumping into us on the escalator. _Oh, crap, _I thought. I decided to talk before June got us into more trouble with her big mouth.

"Well, we chatted a little bit before security, but…" I bluffed.

"I see." Fitzgerald didn't believe me. "And once you were on the flight, what happened then? More chatting?" June laughed nervously and my face turned a bit red. "Is this funny to you?" he asked June.

"No," June and I replied.

"He's dangerous, Misses Havens, and out of control. And I believe that you two know something. Why else would you try to run away, August?" I gave him a death glare.

"I have the right to remain silent," I said quietly. June meanwhile was in her own thoughts.

"He said that you'd say he was crazy," she whispered. She then realized what she had done. I put my head in my hands. _Oh, June!_

"So, you did talk to him," Fitzgerald accused. "And about me, no less." _Crap, crap, crap!_

"No! No, not you, specifically," June tried to cover up.

"About whom, then?" the man replied. "Simon Feck?"

I brought my head up. "Who?" I asked.

"We don't know who that is," June agreed. "Look, this is getting really twisted around, and I think that I should call a lawyer for August and me."

"Hmm…" Fitzgerald gave a sly grin. For a while, we drove along in silence. I tried to get my phone to text April for help, but stupid Fitzgerald grabbed it and swiped the battery for it. I sighed and leaned against June's shoulder. Somehow, I dozed off. The next thing I knew, a bump woke me up. The car had stopped.

"We're going to take you to a secure location, ladies, until Miller is contained," the evil guy said. Another agent opened the car door on June's side. "Someplace safe," Fitzgerald explained. June and I nodded hesitantly. June turned to face the other man.

"With you?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," the agent answered. I followed my cousin out of the SUV and towards a black Ford Crown Victoria. June got in on the far side, I slid into the middle, and the other guy got in next to me. I watched the locks latch with a quiet _click _and grew very wary. For some reason, I knew that we were not going somewhere safe. The Crown Vic drove out from underneath the underpass followed by two Escalades.

I started trying to think of any possible way to escape our predicament, but found none. For one thing, there were three armed men in the close space to guard us. Secondly, even if we were to get away, there were still two other vehicles filled with guys to hunt us down. I silently leaned back against my seat, preparing to accept my fate.

"You want to tell us where we're going?" June wasn't about to shut up. "Fellas?"

"Don't worry, miss, you're safe," the agent who had escorted us (I had nicknamed him Bob after seeing that his first name was Robert) said.

"Excuse me?" My forehead drew into worry lines.

"You're safe with us," Bob smiled reassuringly at me.

"I want to know where we're going," June pressured.

"Just a short cut till the situation is stabilized," Bob replied. "We'll keep you safe."

"You said that already." I interrupted harshly.

"Because I meant it," Bob told me. I then heard tires screeching beside us. I turned around to see that it was one of the Escalades trying to avoid something. "What is Jackson doing?" Bob muttered. I yelped when I saw the driver collapse from a gunshot wound. Just then, a bullet pierced the back window, barely missing my head. It found its mark in the agent in the passenger seat. June screamed.

"Shooter! Shooter! Evade! Evade! Shooter on the freeway," Bob yelled into his watch. I gasped when I saw the ominous red dot on his suit jacket.

"The dot's on your back!" June said quickly. Bob ducked; making the bullet hit the driver. He also collapsed. This time, I screamed. The car began to gain speed rapidly since the driver had slammed his foot on the gas after he got shot. June, Bob, and I got thrown back against our seats. Bob pushed his door open and grabbed my arm.

"Follow me, now!" he ordered. I fought his grip while June shrieked and clutched onto me.

"Are you insane? I'm not going out that door!" I screamed, kicking him in the ribs. Bob gave me a final look before diving out onto the road. I saw him roll over to the side, almost being hit by the other Escalade behind us. I pulled the door shut while June leaned over the driver's seat to try to keep us from getting killed. The Escalade beside us then exploded as it flipped over onto a lower road.

"Oh my gosh!" June cried as she tried to avoid head on traffic. "Get your foot off the…" she whispered as she attempted to pry the dead driver's foot of the gas pedal.

"June, watch the road!" I yelled. I heard sirens from behind us. "Oh, dear Lord," I groaned. "What next?" I peered out the back window and saw a cop on a motorcycle speeding towards us. "Great, now we'll be arrested for reckless driving!"

"August, just shut up!" June was very stressed at this point. The cop went over a guardrail like it was a ramp. The next thing I knew, the motorcycle fell into a river and his helmet landed on the Crown Vic's hood. Then, Roy Miller came crashing down. My eyes grew wide and June's mouth dropped open.

"Oh my GOSH!" we both shrieked. Roy smiled at us and waved.

"Hey, June! Hey, August!" he greeted. June began to panic.

"I can't see!" she cried while waving for him to move over.

"You are doing great!" Roy yelled back.

June hadn't heard him. "I can't see! Get out of the way!"

"Open the door!" he replied.

"We can't get his foot off the gas," I explained, pointing down to the gas pedal.

"Open the door, girls," Roy continued. "Open the door. Those are beautiful dresses, by the way." I stared at him strangely before bullets began peppering the back seat. I shrieked and ducked onto the car's floor. "One second," Roy put in before pulling a gun out of his jacket and shooting at the Escalade behind us.

"Oh, crap!" June screamed. I could feel heat coming through a crack in the door and guessed that Roy had made the other car blow up. I sat back up and saw Roy smiling at us. June then had to swing the car around since she almost hit a semi. Roy went flying off the hood and onto a roof of another car below us.

"Shoot!" I yelled. I climbed over to the other side of the backseat and saw that our "hero" was precariously hanging onto the luggage rack of the other SUV. Somehow, he pulled himself onto the car's roof and jumped back onto our Crown Vic's roof.

"What are you doing?" June yelled. Roy stuck his head down onto the windshield.

"Hi, guys," he said.

"Move out of the way! June can't see!" I ordered.

"August, please unlock the door. Unlock the door. That way, I can help you both." I made a flying leap for the door lock, but June swerved, throwing me back against the opposite passenger door.

"June, you're not helping!" I screamed while trying to push the dead guy in the passenger seat off the door lock switch. I was still seeing stars from my head being hit against the window. A bullet pierced the windshield, almost hitting Roy. Another black Escalade had joined the chase. "June, let go of the wheel and unlock the door!" I shrieked.

"I can't let go!" June cried hysterically. Roy was shooting the other car on the roof, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I dove for the door lock on June's side, but hit the window one instead.

"Dang it!" I went for another go at it. Roy leaned back down.

"August, door!" he yelled. I finally pushed June aside and grabbed the door handle, opening it at last.

"Got it!" I said happily. An oncoming minivan then hit the open car door, breaking it off and hurling it into our enemy's windshield. The SUV went out of control, flipping and rolling its way towards us. June pulled the dead guy's foot off the gas and slammed the brakes, burning rubber. We both gasped when we saw the vehicle rapidly coming at us and June began screaming. I threw myself onto the floor just in time to see the SUV fly right over us. A semi ran it over right after it hit the ground.

Roy flung the dead guy out of the driver's seat and took his place. June dove into the backseat beside me. We went through some scaffolding and came out of the tunnel to see more agents shooting at us.

"Just pull over!" June screamed. "Oh my gosh!" Roy kept on shooting at them and a couple guys fell onto the ground. He spun the car around, finally coming to a stop. He threw open our door. We must've been a sight, with June screaming while laying on the seat and me cowering on the ground. Roy helped us out to hide by the trunk outside.

"Come on, come on, come on. Yep, right over here. Just stay down, you're doing good," he coaxed. _Well August, you've always wanted adventure, _I thought as bullets barely missed me. "Here, hold this," Roy handed June his revolver. She shuddered as she held it. Roy pulled a large gun bag out of the trunk. I covered my mouth when I saw the very big machine gun inside. "These guys are loaded for bear," he joked. I nodded in horror.

"You're doing well, girls. Excellent driving, June. Over a dead guy, no less. And good job on getting the door open, August. You both are naturals." He grinned at us again. "Those are beautiful dresses. Are they for April's wedding?"

"Uh-huh," I managed to say.

"Saturday?" he asked.

"Yeah," June whispered.

"Yeah, that'll be nice." I looked behind us and screamed when I saw two men with guns pointed at the three of us. Roy took care of them with a few shots. June watched in fear.

"Please, just stop shooting people, okay?" she begged. "Just stop shooting people."

"I understand," Roy said. "You're in shock. How about you both stay here while I go have a word with the guys in the tunnel. Okay?"

"Okay," June replied nervously. I gave Roy a raised eyebrow. I knew that he wasn't going to have a "word" at all.

"Actually, I'm just going to go shoot them. I'll be right back." Roy explained to me. June gasped and almost fainted. I reached out a hand to steady her. Roy had already left to go shoot the other agents. The color returned to June's face and she grabbed my wrist.

"Come on, August. We're leaving." She looked behind her as if she expected Roy to come shoot us next.

"But Roy told us to stay here," I argued.

"Who cares what Roy said? He's a bad man. Come on, let's go." June pulled me up and we both fled over the railroad tracks, heading back to normal old Boston. I noticed that there was a helicopter flying low, but thought nothing of it at the time. All that I could hear was my own terrified heartbeat and the frightening sound of gunshots…

_**A/N: Sorry that this chapter took so long! I've been really busy with exams and the studying that comes with that. I hope that you enjoyed Chapter 3! **_

_**Note: I had to split the "Boston" part of the movie into two chapters since there is so much action in that section. Next chapter will involve August in a hostage situation! :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Here's a little fun fact for you all about this story. I originally planned for August to be pulled into the adventure at the pie shop when Roy "captures" June. Then, I figured that her character would be better placed into the action from the beginning to the end. What do you all think? Tell me in your reviews!**_

Chapter 4

Okay, so my cousin and I had just fled a massacre and had finally entered a nice normal street. June kept looking behind her shoulder and I knew that she was scouting for Roy, who was killing people down at the railroad tracks. I saw a bus that was about to stop at the corner. "June, look!" I cried with relief.

"Hey, wait!" she yelled at it while waving her arms. I looked up and saw that she was still holding Roy's gun.

"June, give me that!" I snatched it out of her hands and disposed of it in a nearby mailbox. June then continued to run across a busy street towards the bus. "Stop!" I yelled as I followed her, trying not to get hit myself.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" June shrieked as a car swerved in front of her. She hit the windows of the bus, making the driver wait for us. We both ran onto it. There weren't very many seats, so June sat down next to some woman and I remained standing beside her. I could still hear sirens coming from further away and figured that Roy's massacre had come to an end. June was breathing heavily and seemed like she might cry.

I rubbed her back. "It's okay, June. We'll find a way out of this." She nodded at me with tired eyes. All of a sudden, we heard a thud on the roof. "Oh, crap," I muttered. June's face went white. I heard footsteps heading towards the front of the bus and my worst fears were verified. Roy Miller was on the roof.

The bus stopped again and I saw a dark figure jump off the roof right in front of the door. "What do we have to do, get a restraining order?" June whispered. She ducked behind her seat and I hid behind some fat guy standing in front of me. Roy climbed onto the bus. He looked around and smiled at us.

"There you are," he said. June quickly fled right past him and sped off the bus. I tried to as well, but there were people in my way to slow me down. Roy grabbed my wrist and pulled me beside him. I was about to scream until I felt the pressure of a gun being pressed into my lower back. I gasped and all of the color drained out of my face. I looked out the window and saw June still running away, not even noticing that I had been kidnapped. "I'm sorry, August," Roy whispered. "But please don't call attention to yourself and nothing bad will happen."

I nodded, frozen in fear. I couldn't even think straight. All I could think of was how freaked out June would be when she realized that I hadn't gotten off the bus. I was too busy thinking of my recent capture to notice that the bus had stopped. Roy gently pushed me up the aisle. "This way." I had no choice but to obey him. We walked out the door onto the sidewalk. I was too scared to even know where we were.

Roy then turned us towards an alleyway and led me to a blue Volvo sitting in the alley. I was still freaked out. _What would he do with me? _I was trying to remember all of the self defense techniques that Ben, April's fiancé, had taught me earlier this summer. So far, nothing was coming up. Roy opened the back door and took out a pair of handcuffs. I almost began screaming.

"I'm sorry, August, but I have to do this. You can't keep running." He sighed and attached one cuff to my wrist. The other he put on the handle set into the door. (Not the one you use to actually open the door, but the one on the little armrest thingy on the door.) Roy put me on the back seat and got into the driver's seat. I gave him my best death stare as he drove out of the alleyway.

"What are you going to do, Roy?" I asked him. "June probably has the whole Boston PD looking for me by now."

He smiled at me in the rearview mirror. "Not with this text I sent her." Roy handed me his phone. I took it with my free hand and read the open message on the screen. _June, if you ever want to see August again, don't go to the police. Besides, you're a wanted criminal, remember? I'll be in touch. Roy. _

"That won't stop June," I said stubbornly. "She's got connections." I ran my fingers through my messed up ponytail (diving for cover while being shot at hadn't been good to my hair and carefully applied makeup) and pulled out a bobby pin. I then subtly began to try to pick the lock on the hand cuff attached to my wrist.

"Well, August, I didn't bring you here to talk about your cousin's connections. I need to know where she is."

"What if I don't tell you?" I answered. "Are you going to shoot me?" I gave Roy a wry smile. He couldn't break me even if he tried!

"No. I would never hurt you or June. You realize that, don't you?"

"Yeah, you just drug us, almost get us killed in a plane crash/ secret agent brawl and a car chase, forcibly kidnap me, and threaten me with a gun!"

"First, the safety was on the whole time. Second, I did those things to protect both of you. Your lives depend on me. Capiche?"

I was slowly formulating a plan in my mind. "Well, Roy, if you want my full cooperation, then you'll take off these handcuffs so I won't feel like my life's in jeopardy. Okay?" I was hoping that he would take pity on me.

Roy looked back at me before fumbling around in his coat pocket. "Here," he said while giving me a little silver key. I happily grabbed it and unfastened my wrist from the cuff. Then, I quickly pulled up the door lock and opened my door. I was bailing out of there!

"Hey! Not cool!" Roy yelled as he grabbed my ankle to prevent me from escaping. Somehow, he pulled me in, shut my door, reattached the handcuff, and managed to keep driving. I was proud of myself for giving him a good kick in the face in the process. (It probably hurt, too since I was wearing my favorite pink Chuck Taylors.) I gave him another death glare as we drove along.

"I'll scream," I threatened. "I can still roll down the window."

"Good thing the windows are childproof, then," Roy replied. "August, you have to trust me. I have been chasing you and June for twelve straight hours. If I hadn't taken out those agents back there, they would've have killed you both. Do you understand?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I know that. But, what about handcuffing me to a car door? Is that to protect me, too?"

"Well, yes. That is to keep you from running off again. Now, where is June?"

I crossed my arms and stared him down. "I'll never tell you." I was trying to buy time since I had a pretty good idea where my cousin had fled to. But, there was no way that I was telling Roy that. Maybe he had gone rogue like that Fitzgerald guy said. For all I knew, he could be planning to hold us hostage until he got what he wanted.

"August, where is she? I know that you're just trying to protect her, but you could just be leading June into a trap. The agency has probably sent out more backup by now and alerted the local police. Listen." He turned on a police scanner that was set into the radio. I scolded myself for not noticing it before.

"_All Boston police need to be on the lookout for June and August Havens. These two young women have assisted in the murders of many federal agents and have resisted arrest. They were last seen running across the railroad tracks towards downtown Boston. June Havens is 38, has chest length blond hair and blue eyes, is about 5'5", and is wearing a yellow bridesmaids' dress. Her cousin August Havens is 15, has waist length dark blond hair and brown eyes, is about 5'4", and is wearing a teal bridesmaids' dress. Both women are considered armed and dangerous. They need to be apprehended dead or alive…" _At this point, Roy turned off the scanner.

"Don't you see? You and June are in great danger. I need to know where June is so I can help her. Please tell me where she is."

My face was white and I was scared to death. I had no idea that me and June were Public Enemies 1 and 2. Or maybe 2 and 3 since Roy was probably Public Enemy #1. If we were caught, we would most likely be killed for "helping" murder all the agents and maybe even treason. "Okay, I'll tell you. She would've gone to her ex-boyfriend Rodney for help. That wouldn't have been my first choice, but she's so freaked out, it's probably the only place she would've thought to go to."

Roy seemed very pleased by this turn of events. "Okay, where is this Rodney character?"

"He works in Engine 10. He's a firefighter, you see. You didn't say anything about going to the fire department." I smiled smugly since June had outsmarted him for a little bit.

"All right, this is what we're going to do," Roy said. "We are going to drive over to Engine 10, you are going to walk in and get June, and you will both calmly walk out without calling attention to yourself. Okay?"

I nodded, just wanting to get it over with. "Okay." Ten minutes later, Roy pulled the Volvo in front of Fire Engine 10. I took a couple of deep breaths before finally getting out and walking into the garage where all of the fire engines were kept.

"Hey, August!" I heard a voice call. I looked behind me and saw Shane Ryan, a guy I had dated last year, waving at me. I groaned internally. _Why does he have to be at _this _fire station?_

"Hi, Shane," I said quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"I volunteer here, remember? Rodney set it up for me last year when he was dating June." Now I remembered something about Shane expressing how he wanted to be a firefighter while we were on a double date with June and Rodney. Apparently Rodney had felt pity for Shane and arranged for him to volunteer at the station.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. Hey, have you seen June?" I really didn't want to have a conversation with my ex right now when cops were hunting Roy, June, and me down.

"Um…yeah, she came in about fifteen minutes ago. She was all freaked about something. Rodney took her to Casught's for some pie, I think. Why?"

"No reason. I got to go, okay?" I began to slowly move towards the door.

"Well, can I call you sometime?" _Dang, I forgot how persistent that boy could be. _

"Umm…maybe later, Shane. I'm really busy right now." _And my cell phone battery was stolen by a FBI agent! _I walked outside as calmly as I could. It took all of my strength to keep from sprinting back to the car.

"How did it go?" Roy asked when I got in.

"What, you didn't record me or anything?" I joked. "It went fine. Rodney took June to Casught's, a local pie shop down the street for some pie. We can just get her there."

"That's perfect. A little more challenging, but still good. How about we leave the car here and walk to the pie shop?"

"That's fine." Roy and I got out of the car and walked down the street to Casught's. I smiled at the waitress when we walked inside.

"Table for two?" she asked.

"No, we're meeting some friends," I replied. "They're over there." I pointed to where June and Rodney were sitting in a booth. The waitress let us through and we headed over to where June looked like she was going to pass out.

"August!" she cried. Tears were about to spill out of her eyes. "You're okay!" She pulled me into a tight hug. Roy had swiped a chair and sat down at the end of the booth.

"See, June, I told you that she would be fine," Rodney said to June. He swung his attention to Roy. "And who are you?"

Roy introduced himself. "I'm Roy Miller. I'm a friend of June and August's."

Rodney shook Roy's hand. "Rodney Burris."

"Rodney, hi. How are you?" Roy asked, very polite. He looked over at June and me. "We're running out of time, and maybe I didn't make it clear enough, but we're going to have to stick together for a little bit, because of our…situation."

Anger was blazing in June's eyes, partially because Roy had just kidnapped me about an hour ago. "In case you didn't notice, Rodney is a fireman, okay? So he's perfectly capable of handling any situation that comes up. Thank you very much, you can leave us alone."

"June…" I began, wanting to convince her of the severity of our little problem. She silenced me with a wave of her hand.

"I have no doubt," Roy told her. "Ever since I was a little kid, I have great respect for firemen."

"I appreciate it." Rodney seemed very proud.

"Fact of the matter is, I don't think you guys get paid enough."

"Yeah, we don't," Rodney agreed.

"You're in Engine 10," Roy pointed out.

Rodney was a little shocked. "Yeah, Engine 10. The girls must've told you, huh?"

"Yeah, they did. Have you taken your lieutenant's exam yet?" While Roy and Rodney talked about firefighting, June and I started our own conversation.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" June whispered as she looked at the mark on my left wrist from the handcuff.

"No, he didn't. I'm fine, June, really. But, I have to tell you something…"

"Okay, we just need to tell Rodney about who Roy really is, then he can get arrested and sent to prison for a long time. Then, we're in the clear."

"No, we're not. Look." I pulled up an article on my iPod (the pie shop has really good WiFi) and showed her the pictures of us under the headline: _Runaway Bridesmaids? _(I know, it's really cheesy.) June almost fainted again. "June, we have to trust Roy. I just know we can."

"No, we can't, August. I'm the adult here, remember?" She leaned towards Rodney. "Rodney, this is the guy," she whispered.

"You _told _him!" I exclaimed softly.

"What?" Roy had been listening to June. "'This is the guy?'" I groaned and put my head in my hands. _Why is my cousin so stupid sometimes?_

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Rodney asked. Roy frowned at June.

"I'm the guy?" he implored. June laughed nervously.

"This is the guy," she said a little more forcefully.

"I'm a guy," Roy explained.

"You are a guy," I put in.

"He's the guy! He's the guy!" June said quickly.

"Rodney, whatever happens…" Roy began. "Please, for your own safety…" _Oh, dear Lord._

"Rodney, whatever happens, you should know…" June tried to say.

"Please stay in the booth." Roy finished.

Rodney was confused, as was I. "What are you talking about?" Rodney asked. Just then, Roy slapped one handcuff on my wrist and my hands were quickly bound. The process was repeated on June. We both screamed when we saw that Roy had a gun pointed to our heads.

"Everybody! Everybody get down!" Roy yelled at the rest of the people in Casught's. "Get down, down, down! Everybody down." He dragged us with him as he waved the gun around. Rodney was about to pull a hero move, I could tell. Roy could, too. "Rodney, get down, or I will blow their heads off." June shrieked at that comment. "I'll blow their heads off," he repeated.

"Dang it, Roy, you said that I could trust you!" I yelled. "What about all that crap about protecting us? Huh?" Roy hadn't heard me since he had shot a warning shot at Rodney, causing screams from the rest of the customers.

"What did I say?" Roy asked. "Rodney, what did I say?"

"Just calm down, buddy," Rodney replied. A waiter accidentally dropped a glass beside us and Roy kicked him in the stomach, knocking him down.

"Sorry, I thought you were making a move," Roy apologized. _Great, a gunman with manners! _"Sorry. It's all right, I thought he was making a move. Making a little pie. Pies for everybody. Everybody gets pies, okay?" he told the waitress. "No ice cream, a la mode. Weakens the legs, people. Lincoln knew it. It's why they got to him." Roy then yanked us both out the back door of the pie shop and towards the car. I wasn't going to go down without a fight, though.

I quickly jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow, making him let go. Then, I kicked Roy in the face with my Chuck Taylor again before hightailing it down the road. The next thing I knew, I heard a crack and something sliced through my shoulder. I screamed and collapsed onto the concrete. June began shrieking my name. I didn't feel any pain, but felt numb all over. I was still conscious, but couldn't move anything. Roy walked over to me and scooped me up off the ground. I tried to kick him, but nothing moved. It was like I was paralyzed or something.

"What did you do to her?" June yelled. I could see that she had been pushed into the passenger seat of the Volvo. "Did you kill August?" She was becoming hysterical.

"No, it's a type of twilight tranquillizer. It makes you paralyzed for ten minutes and almost unconscious. He pulled some kind of dart out of my shoulder. I wanted to scream some not very nice things at him, but my tongue wouldn't even work. Then, I heard Rodney running towards us, talking into his walkie-talkie about the car.

"Rodney, help!" June screamed.

"Rodney, don't!" Roy warned. Then, I heard a gunshot and June shrieked. Somehow, I knew it wasn't a tranq dart. A few minutes later, Roy hopped into the driver's seat and we took off with sirens chasing us. By this time, I could at least glare at Roy. For some reason deep in my mind, I was concerned that I had gotten blood on the $120 bridesmaids' dress. I shook that thought out of my mind since the dress had already gotten dirty from me falling onto the nasty car floor and onto the street.

"There were four security cameras in that restaurant, girls," Roy was saying as he pulled off the ridiculous baseball cap he had gotten somewhere. "Now that's proof that you're my hostages. Also, there was one on the bus. I made sure that it was able to see my gun, too. So, we've cleared your names. With the locals, at least. You know, it's a start, something to build on."

"You shot Rodney!" I yelled as loud as I could. My tongue still felt like I'd been to the dentist to get a cavity filled and got hyped up on Novocain. "And you drugged me!"

"Oh, August!" June reached around her seat to give me an awkward hug. (She was still handcuffed like me.)

Roy was still talking. "Yeah, I did shoot him. But, I asked him to stay in the booth. And you were trying to run."

June turned back to the front to stare him down. "He was doing his job! That's a good reason to not stay in the booth! And August had a good reason to run, too, since she had just been kidnapped an hour earlier!"

"You shot Rodney!" I yelled again. I was still pretty out of it, but feeling was starting to come back into my limbs.

Roy looked back at me. "It might be the best thing that ever happened to him."

"Yeah, right, because we all should get shot every now and then!" My voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Maybe I should've used a bigger dose," Roy muttered. June slapped him across the face with her handcuffed wrists.

"Don't ever say that about my cousin!" she scolded. "And August is right about Rodney!"

"Rodney…Rodney is a good guy, June," Roy replied while rubbing the spot where June's handcuffs had nicked him. "But not really right for you."

"Finally someone agrees with me!" I smiled. Roy might be a murderer and a kidnapper, but he at least thought that Rodney wasn't really a great guy either. June was still pretty ticked at Roy as he continued.

"I mean, you know, in my opinion," he defended himself. "But a good guy. Took a bullet, he's going to be a hero. Probably get a promotion." I laughed because it was most likely true.

"Stop the car. Stop the car," June said quickly. I could tell that she was still freaking out.

"What?" Roy hadn't heard her.

"Stop the car, stop the car, stop the car. Just stop the car!" June yelled.

"June, I understand that you want off the carousel," Roy replied.

"Oh, gosh, I do, I do want to get off the carousel. Please, Roy, can you stop the car, please? Right now!" June demanded.

"Man up, June!" I yelled at her.

"I'm not one of those 'I told you so' kind of guys, but I did warn you both to stay off the plane last night." Roy explained. June and I both racked our brains, but came up with nothing.

"When?" we both asked.

"Well, when I said, 'Sometimes things happen for a reason.'" I looked at him strangely.

"You need to work on your communication skills," I suggested. June wasn't as nice.

"That's not a warning. That's not a warning, Roy!" she scolded. "That's like a needlepoint expression or a bumper sticker. Next time try, June, August, if you get on this plane you will die! Huh? You know, Roy, maybe they meant it when they said that August and I would be safe."

"June, are you stupid?" I implored. "They were going to kill us!"

"You really mean that, June?" Roy asked quietly.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed.

"Did you feel safe with them?" he questioned.

"Safer than I do now! At least they didn't shoot my ex, kidnap and drug my cousin, and hold me hostage!"

Roy seemed to accept that. "Okay, okay. All right." He swiftly swung the car around into a parking garage; knocking June almost on top of him and making me fall onto the floor. I still couldn't move much. As the Volvo rapidly went up towards the top, almost missing walls, June began to scream. I rolled my eyes as best as I could from the car floor.

At the top, Roy quickly pulled the car neatly into a parking spot. He got out and helped June first. Then, he gently got me off the floor and helped me lean against the car's trunk. I could barely stand. He unattached my handcuffs and went to get June's.

"Just so you understand, right now, out there, on your own, your life expectancy is like here." He put his hand by June's waist. "With me, it's here." Roy put his hand above June's head. "Without me, here." Back down to June's waist. "With me…" Above. "…without me…" Below. "…with me…" Above. "…without me…" Below.

"So…I wouldn't advise going home, especially since August can hardly walk. But, you know, it's up to you." He threw June's handcuffs into the backseat and pulled another set of car keys out of his pocket. "So right now, I need another car, keep moving. Someone else is depending on me. Someone whose life is in danger. Someone who trusts me." He pulled a bag (probably full of different weapons) out of the trunk I was leaning against. June barely was able to catch me. "Every second I waste chasing you two, I'm letting him down." He walked away and unlocked a silver car awaiting him.

June and I watched him sadly. "You know, he has a point," I whispered. "The cops could be watching our townhouse." June sighed.

"Come on, before I change my mind." I grinned and June assisted me with walking over to the other car. Roy got out and was able to get me inside next to some dry cleaning (his?). June sat in the passenger seat.

"I guess you changed your mind," Roy joked.

"No, August changed it for me. This is the only reason why I'm going. It's to protect her. I promised her dying father I would take care of her and I will!" She then crossed her arms and leaned back against her seat. Roy and I left her in her own thoughts as we drove away from the parking garage and back into downtown.

"Do you both have different clothes that you can change into?" Roy asked us. "Because no offense, but those bridesmaids' dresses are kind of conspicuous."

"I have some in my bag," June said while holding it up.

"Sorry, but I don't," I said with a shrug. "My other change of clothes is in my dance bag in the bridal shop. Oops."

"It's fine, we can stop somewhere and buy you something," Roy replied. "Where's a good store?"

"There's an Old Navy down the street," June answered while pointing towards it. "August can get something in there." Roy pulled into a free spot by the curb and I got out, happy that the weird drug had finally worn off. Roy handed me a debit card to use.

"Don't worry, it's under a false name," he said as I took it. I thanked him and went inside.

I didn't have much time to browse since I was still wearing a big poofy dress with pink Chuck Taylors. I ended up buying a white lace cami, a lavender short sleeve cotton shrug to go over it, and a pair of purple athletic capri sweatpants. I also got a purple headband to go with it. After changing in the dressing room, I quickly ran back outside to the car and we sped off.

A little while later, Roy stopped at a gas station so June could change. I waited outside with him. I noticed that he was looking at a semi carrying a load of cars. "A new ride?" I wondered.

"I think so. I heard the truck driver saying he was heading to New York. As soon as June comes out, we'll get on it." June walked out right as he finished speaking. He explained the plan to her and all three of us went over to the semi. Luckily, the truck driver was busy and didn't see us sneak over to his vehicle. Roy helped us climb up to a convertible. It was kind of fun trying to get up there, especially since June isn't very coordinated. June finally pulled herself into the passenger seat and I slid into the back seat. Roy took the driver's seat of course.

We all settled into our new spots. I rolled up my bridesmaids' dress to use as a pillow and spread out across the not very roomy seat. June leaned her seat back a little bit to my protest since she almost squished my feet. I ended up having to curl up into a little ball so my feet wouldn't be crushed.

I sighed before rolling my face towards the back and closing my eyes. The warm breeze blew gently through my hair, tickling my nose. I listened to the sounds of different vehicles and Roy and June's voices before finally falling asleep…

_**Yay! End of chapter 4! I hope that it was a good one! I know that I'm proud of it. So, June and August have joined Roy and are heading to New York City. What adventures await them there? You'll have to find out!**_

_**Also, I think that this is my longest chapter yet! (4,875 words) Awesome!**_

_**Another little fun fact about this chapter: The drug that August is paralyzed with is based on two different drugs from one of my favorite T.V. shows, Chuck. One knocked you out and made you forget what happened in the past 5 minutes. The other one made you seem dead and paralyzed you for a longer period of time. I combined the two when I wrote this chapter. I know, really random! Anyway, keep on reading and reviewing!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, I woke up to sunlight streaming in my eyes. I sat up and saw that we were still traveling in the convertible. June was still asleep, but Roy was awake and scanning the horizon. "Good morning," he said.

"Morning, Roy," I replied sleepily. "Where are we?"

"About ten miles from Manhattan. As soon as this guy gets into the city, we need to be long gone. In fact, we'll need to be on our way to Brooklyn."

"Brooklyn? What's in Brooklyn?" I asked, feeling more awake.

"I have to pick up a friend there and give him this." Roy pointed to a knight figurine on the dashboard.

"A Burger King toy?" I was confused. Roy handed the little figurine to me.

"Open it." I did and a little warm capsule fell out into my hand.

"A battery?" I guessed.

"Yes. It's code-named Zephyr. Not your average Duracell."

"So, what does your friend want with it? Has his flashlight run out of juice?"

Roy smiled at my joke. "That little thing there is the first perpetual energy source since the sun. It never runs out. But, it can power a lot more than just a flashlight."

"Like what?" Now, I was curious.

"Small city. Large submarine. It's big."

"Is this what everyone wants?" I implored as I let the Zephyr roll around in my hand.

"Yes. And the guy who invented it is barely out of high school. His name's Simon Feck. I was assigned with another agent to watch him at a facility, a lab in Wichita. And the other guy, the agent, is the guy who picked you and June up yesterday. Fitzgerald," he spat. "A couple weeks ago, I found out he was going to sell the battery and kill Simon. So I got Simon out of there, put him someplace safe, and went back for the battery. And Fitz set me up. Made it look like I went rogue. That's when I met you two."

I laughed. "So…what's the plan, Roy?"

"Well, we're going to pick up Simon in Brooklyn and get you and June home for April's wedding. I'm pretty good at what I do, August."

"I can see that." I put the Zephyr back inside the knight figure and gave it back to Roy. "So, how are we going to get to Brooklyn from Manhattan?"

"Well, we'll have to get off this truck. That's all I've got for now."

"That's a foolproof plan, Roy." Just then, June stirred and opened her eyes.

"Have you explained the plan to August?" she said groggily.

"He just finished," I replied. "Isn't it wonderful?" I added with sarcasm. As soon as I finished speaking, the truck began slowing down. "Uh, oh…" I trailed off.

"We need to get off, now," Roy ordered. He swung a leg over the side of the convertible. June and I watched with horror.

"You really expect us to jump off a moving semi!" June yelled. "You're crazy!"

"Don't worry." Roy was calm and collected like always. "I'll catch you."

"Great, I feel so comforted," I said as I got my things together. I looped my purse across my chest (it was the same type of purse as June's except it had a black and white flowery design on it and it had my name embroidered in turquoise) and slowly slid down to the next level. Luckily, the semi was only going about forty miles an hour, so it wouldn't hurt as much to jump off.

The car transport had three levels on it, but it took me five minutes, tops to climb down, hiding in the early morning shadows. I thanked God that I was skinny enough to fit between each car. Soon, it was time to make my leap of faith. I quickly calculated how far I would have to jump to prevent from being run over by the rest of the truck and took a deep breath.

We were driving through an alley and I noticed a few rungs of a fire escape within my reach that would be coming up. I scrambled to the second level and prepared to leap towards it. Roy and June were jumping off the opposite side. I exhaled and cleared away any fears before letting my feet leave the comforting steel of the car transport. For a few moments, I flew slowly in midair.

Then, I felt cold metal in my hand. I laughed in relief. It had worked! A few yards behind me, Roy and June dropped and rolled onto the concrete. "August? Where are you?" June cried.

"I'm up here!" I called. Roy and June looked up and saw me dangling from the fire escape.

"August!" June shrieked. Roy hurried over and pulled on my legs, making the fire escape extend so my feet could touch the ground. June wrapped me in a hug. "I swear you are going to be the death of me, August Marie," she muttered.

"Where are we, Roy?" I asked as I peered around the alley.

Roy pulled a well worn map of New York City out of his pocket. "Chinatown, I believe. Can't you smell the Chinese food?" I wanted to smack myself for not paying attention. Of course you could smell the various foods cooking all around. I remembered it from my sixth grade field trip to NYC with my mom.

"Isn't the Brooklyn Bridge nearby?" June said. "If it is, we could just walk across."

"Or drive," I put in. "Or take a boat." My stomach grumbled loudly. Of all the times to be hungry, my stomach chose now. I couldn't blame it, though. The last thing I had eaten was a quickly eaten fast food meal in Boston before we stowed away on the car transport.

"I agree with June," Roy replied. "But let's get some food first. It's going to be a long day." June and I followed Roy into the chaos of Chinatown. We were able to find a Chinese restaurant that wasn't that busy. (Even though it was only 7am!) We each got rice porridge, sweet cream buns, mango pudding, and tea. I was stuffed to the gills when I was done and ended up taking my tea in a to-go cup.

Around eight, we finally made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was even bigger than I remembered it. Roy, June, and I got on the pedestrian lane and started walking across. It was tiring, but I enjoyed watching all of the people.

"All right, Simon's safe house is in a warehouse by the water," Roy said as we walked along.

"You put him in a warehouse?" June sounded shocked. "But he's only nineteen!" _**(A/N: I don't know if that is Simon's real age or not. This is me estimating.)**_

"He actually likes it, if you can believe it," Roy responded. "It's right by the bridge, near the river."

I nodded and kept walking along. As soon as we stepped into Brooklyn, we only had to go a couple of blocks before stumbling upon an old brick warehouse. "This is a safe house?" I heard June mutter under her breath. We ducked underneath a rusted garage door and headed inside. The first thing I heard was a song on the radio. I wanted to laugh since I had heard it on _Chuck _before. It was called "Private Eyes" by Hall & Oates.

_I see you, you see me…_

"Simon!" Roy called. June and I followed him through aisles of junk before seeing an open storage unit with light spilling out of it.

_Oh, girl, you've got to know…_

"Simon?" Roy drew his gun and went ahead of June and me. June pulled me back a little. Probably in case a gun battle started with us helpless in the middle of it. "Stay close," Roy whispered to us. I quickly walked a little faster until I was right behind him.

"Hey, Simon, this is no time to play," Roy said as we grew near to the storage unit.

_You can't escape my…_

Roy pointed his gun at the door and waved at us to stay back. We both complied and June shrank towards a pile of wooden pallets nearby.

_Private eyes, they're watching you…_

I snuck up behind Roy and peered into the little room. It was painted white and had random scribbling all over the walls. A camp cot was in the corner, along with a small T.V. and a radio. But, no Simon.

_They see your every move…_

"What is all this?" I asked Roy as I tried to decipher the strange equations written on the walls.

"Simon," Roy replied sadly. "This is what he does."

"Dang, he's smart!" I exclaimed as I gave up trying to read the walls.

"I'm late, and he's gone," Roy continued. He walked into the storage unit while June and I remained outside.

_You play with words, you play with love_

_You can twist it around_

_Baby, that ain't enough…_

I came into the small white room and squinted at the equations again. Just then, I saw something in plain old English. "Roy!" I read.

"What, August?" He was busy looking for some clue.

"Your name!" I gestured to his name that was circled with an arrow pointing to the right underneath it.

"Great job, August." He examined the area carefully before looking at it from an angle.

_Private eyes, they're watching you…_

_They see your every move…_

"Found it." I peered past the arrow and saw what he did.

"Alps," I whispered. "Austria?"

"Yep. Simon must've taken that fake passport that I gave him and took it to Austria." He took a picture of the message on a tiny camera. He looked at it from the other direction. "Just what I thought."

I read it that way, too. "Train…" I trailed off. "Alps train?"

"He's crazy about trains, anything mechanical, really. Apparently he decided to take a little adventure of his own."

I laughed. "Looks like you're stuck with us for a little longer."

"Yeah…" Roy's eyes grew wide as he looked outside the storage unit. "August, move!" He grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the room. June was holding Roy's gun in her hand and he snatched it from her, shooting a guy in combat gear above her in the process. Soon, an all out war was going on, with the three of us in the middle of it.

Roy grabbed a small device out of his bag of weapons and tossed it into Simon's room. He then dove with June away from the doorway. I crawled after them, attempting to not get shot. "Who are these people?" June cried.

"Are they Fitzgerald's guys?" I asked at the same time. Roy was loading a big machine gun.

"No, it's other guys," Roy answered me.

"Other bad guys?" June wasn't really in the loop. She screamed as a bullet almost hit her.

"Worse guys," Roy replied. "August, hold my mags." I took the two large magazines from his hand. I gasped since they were bigger than my entire hand.

"Worse guys?" June whispered.

I snapped my fingers in front of her face. "June, focus. We are in real danger here. Now shut up and listen."

"Now, I need you both to listen carefully," Roy said slowly. "Do exactly as I say. On three, I'm going to lay down cover, and then we're going to run to those shelves over there." He pointed his machine guns (one for each hand!) towards another set of shelves near us. I nodded in agreement.

"Okay," June agreed.

"One…" Roy began to count. June ran into the line of fire.

"June!" I shrieked. My cousin began to scream like a little girl.

"Oh my gosh!" she screamed before running back to me and Roy. "Sorry, I panicked."

"What number would you like?" Roy asked.

"Let's just stick with three, it's good," June gasped.

"Okay," Roy said. "One…two…three!" He got up with June and I behind him. As we ran across the room, Roy basically shot at everything that moved. I didn't look since I was still having nightmares about the plane and car chase murders. We dropped and rolled to the set of other shelves.

"Those guys are fancy," Roy admitted as he unloaded his guns. "Mags." I handed them to him. "Could be Antonio Quintana's men. He's a Spanish arms dealer," he explained. "He also wants the battery."

"Great, nice to know," I groaned. June's face was white again.

"Are you ready?" Roy asked.

"Uh-huh," we said unsteadily.

"Let's move." We ran down an aisle of junk, Roy leading the way with his deadly machine guns. "June, August, duck!" We did just before a flurry of bullets took our heads off. Roy sent back a bunch of his own as a reply.

"How the heck are we going to get out of here?" I yelled.

"And where the heck is Simon?" June added.

"I don't know yet, but he left a message," Roy told her.

"A message?" June gasped. I had forgotten that she hadn't seen it yet.

"Wait," Roy said quietly. We froze and I heard guys speaking Spanish near us. My heart was beating so loud, I was sure that people in NYC could've heard it. Roy dropped to the ground and so did we. I covered my mouth when I saw all the combat boots walking around close to our shelves.

"What I need you two to do right now is to wait here," Roy said.

"What?" June looked at him as if he was crazy. I couldn't blame her since he technically was.

"I'm going to find us a way out," Roy explained.

"We can't wait here!" June cried.

"I'll be right back," Roy said quickly as he gave her one of the guns. "Just take this."

"Why don't I get the gun?" I put my hands on my hips. June smacked my leg.

"August, you're fifteen!" she scolded. Roy had already gone to go shoot Quintana's men.

"At least I know how to use it," I added under my breath. All of a sudden, machine guns began firing all around us. June and I gasped and hugged each other close. Then, they suddenly stopped. For a moment, my cousin and I were in stunned silence. We stood up, June clutching the gun in her trembling hands.

"Roy?" she whispered, fear evident on her face. "Crap." She held the gun up, ready to use it. I saw Roy entering from behind her.

"June, August," he called softly. June screamed and began firing. I also screamed and ducked underneath the shelves as my cousin went into crazy, hysterical assassin mode. "June! June! June! June!" Roy yelled as he barely avoided getting hit. I saw Roy's bag near me and started to root through it.

"Roy, where are the tranq darts?" I shrieked.

"What?" Roy had just rolled past June's line of fire.

_You want something done right, you'll just have to do it yourself, _I thought as I finally found the package labeled "Tranq Darts". I quickly grabbed a Smith & Wesson pistol, loaded it with a tranq dart, and aimed it at June's shoulder. "Sorry, June," I whispered as I pulled the trigger. The gun kicked in my hand as the dart went neatly into my cousin's shoulder. "Wow, that's a nice gun," I said as I looked it over in my hands.

Roy meanwhile had gotten off the floor to go look at June, who was unconscious with my tranq dart in her back. "August, did you do that?" He seemed to be in shock, but still impressed.

"Umm…yeah? See, this is why you should've given _me _the gun."

"What did you shoot her with?" Roy asked as he pulled the dart out of her shoulder.

I dug out the package and gave it to him "I used these." He read the label.

"She'll only be out for two hours. That's not even close to enough." He rooted through his bag and got a small clear bottle out and forced the liquid inside of it between June's lips.

"What was that?" I was hoping that it wasn't poison.

"Brotine-zero. She'll be out for about eighteen hours now."

"Eighteen hours? That's almost a whole day!" I yelled. "Smooth move, Romeo."

Just then, Quintana's men came barging towards us. I put my hands up as if I was in some cop movie. One of the men came to me and roughly yanked me to my feet. He then cuffed my wrists together and put his gun into the small of my back. I gasped.

My captor then spoke a rapid string of Spanish to Roy. I didn't catch all of it, (I've only just finished Spanish I) but I basically interpreted it as 'if you try anything, the girl dies.' I gulped as I was shoved forward, Roy right behind me. Two guys picked June up off the floor and carried her out of the warehouse.

We exited the building surrounded by armed men. I squinted in the bright sunlight, but was able to see two dark vans awaiting us in the cruddy parking lot. Roy and I were pushed into the back of one, followed by three armed guards. There was a small wooden bench attached to the side wall of the van that we were gestured to sit on. June was put on the floor. Two of the guards went up to the front, leaving one in the back to keep an eye on me and Roy.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked me as the van started.

"Well, besides the fact that I'm about to be led to my death, I almost got shot by my cousin, and I used a tranq gun on June, I'm just peachy." A tear still slid down my cheek. I was scared! I was only fifteen, after all!

Roy caught onto my fear. "It's okay, August. I'll get us out of here. I got this."

"And how are you going to do that, Roy? We are locked in a van with three armed men! And if you try anything, I'll die!" I was starting to become hysterical, but any teenage girl would in that situation.

"Callate!" our guard barked. _(Translation: Shut up.)_ That just ticked me off.

"Te callas!" I yelled back at him. _(Translation: You shut up!)_ I then let out a spout of insults at him. (No cuss words, only words like stupid and idiot.) He instantly shut his mouth, a little scared of the blond American teenager who knew how to insult him in his own language. Roy was impressed.

"Where did you learn that?" he implored with a twinkle in his eye. "I don't think that they teach those things in Spanish class."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Google Translator. But my teacher did technically teach us 'shut up' since she would say it all the time when my class annoyed her."

Roy laughed. "How did you learn to shoot a gun so well?"

I smiled at him. "When I was thirteen, my dad told me that every girl needs to know how to shoot a firearm. I started with a little youth shotgun and worked my way up to a 9mm pistol. But, then he died in a car accident, and June didn't want to take me to the shooting range anymore." I stopped for a moment to catch my breath.

Roy was quiet, and I knew that he understood that I needed some space. "But, April's fiancé Ben usually takes me every weekend to the shooting range with his buddies. I beat them most of the time, too," I said with a grin.

"You definitely have skills," Roy replied. "Not every fifteen year old girl knows how to work a Smith & Wesson like that. It was a perfect shot, too."

"Well, I'm not an average girl."

"I can see that. You can shoot a gun, tell someone off in Spanish, manage to almost escape a moving vehicle, beat someone up, and grab onto a fire escape while on a car transport." I blushed from his complements.

"Well, do you have a plan, Roy?" I was sincerely hoping that he did since I had nothing.

"Not at the moment. But, I'll think of something." Just then, the van began to slow down. My heart began beating a mile a minute.

"Roy, I think that you better think of something pretty quick," I said as the back door opened, letting sunlight into the dark vehicle. "Because I believe that our luck is about to run out."

_**A/N: Oh, no! Roy and August have been captured by Antonio Quintana's henchmen! (*gasp*) What will they do? Find out in chapter 6!**_

_**Note: I have decided to let August stay awake for two reasons. 1. She copes better than June. (In fact, she took out June.) 2. Am I the only one who has ever been curious as to **_**how**_** Roy got June to his island? I mean, besides the things you see while June's awake. I'm definitely going to explain all of that. And the same thing will probably apply to Austria. R&R!**_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I was crying silent tears as I was roughly led through dark corridors in Antonio Quintana's dungeon. At this point in time, I was certain that I would be tortured and killed. _Be strong, August, _I heard my mother speak to me. _Trust in Roy._

_Great, I'm going crazy, _I thought. _Roy must be contagious._ I still held my head up high and stopped crying. I would at least die with dignity. My armed captor shoved me into a dreary stone room with a smirk. Roy was right behind me, followed by the two guards carrying June. They placed her on the floor in front of a small cell with some sort of medieval torture device hanging from the ceiling. I almost screamed out of fear.

I wasn't led to that one, though. Instead, my captor brought me over to a set of shackles placed into the wall. Soon, my wrists were cuffed above my head and my ankles were tightly shackled to the cold stone wall. I already started feeling like my circulation wasn't working right. _Just breathe, August, _I thought. I inhaled deeply. Maybe they would show mercy on a teenage girl. Maybe I would just be starved and shot by a firing squad instead of tortured. Or I would probably just die of fright if I saw Roy get tortured.

Speaking of Roy, he was being hooked up to the medieval torture device. For some sick reason, Quintana's guys had taken his shirt off and tied his wrists together with a piece of rope. Then, they attached his ankles to a pair of shackles hanging from a chain in the ceiling. Soon, Roy Miller was hanging helplessly upside down, swinging like a pendulum. The men laughed and walked to the door. One stopped by me to finger my hair.

"We'll deal with you later, blondie," the guy laughed. His breath smelled like liquor. I spat in his eye. He cursed and staggered to the door to join his companions. They then left us alone.

"Are you okay?" I asked Roy as he swung back and forth.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Why didn't they torture us?"

"Oh, they're going to let us sweat it out for a bit before coming back to get the party started."

"Oh, joy." I fidgeted in my chains as I tried to find an even slightly loose spot.

"August, I know that this looks bad, but we'll be out of here in a couple of minutes. I got this." He grunted as he swung into the opposite wall. I then realized what he had been doing. As he would swing to the wall, he would rub his wrists against an old rusted hook that was set into it. Doing this, he had slowly been untying his binds. A moment later, the ropes fell off onto the floor.

"Yes!" I whispered in triumph. Roy pulled something out of his pants pocket. "What's that?" I asked.

"It's a lock pick. Good thing it was sewn into my pocket." Roy reached up to the ankle cuffs and began to pick the locks. I nervously looked towards the door, hoping that the goons weren't going to come back soon. I noticed that Roy's gun bag was in the corner of the room.

"Roy, look!" I cried while nodding my head towards it. "We can use your guns!"

Roy was putting his shirt back on. "Yup. Now, would you be able to actually shoot a person?"

"Well, duh! Just in the shoulder or something, though. I'm not a killer."

"I know that. But you could shoot someone with a real bullet?"

"Yes, I can. Now please unlock me!" Roy hurried over and began to free my hands. I rubbed them after they were freed, trying to get my blood moving again. Roy had just freed my right ankle when Quintana's goons came back. "Oh, crap," I said.

Within seconds, an all out brawl was going on between Roy and three armed men. Luckily, Roy had given me the lock pick. After I picked the lock on the other shackle, I quickly ran to Roy's bag and grabbed the same Smith & Wesson I had used before, this time loading it with actual bullets.

"Hey!" I yelled. No one paid any attention to me. I pulled the safety back and shot a bullet into the ceiling. Everyone froze, including Roy. The three guys saw that I was pointing a gun at them and began to laugh.

"Look at the little heroine!" one of the men teased. "She thinks that she can just point a gun at us and get her way!"

"I bet it's not even loaded!" another one put in.

"Try me," I said with determination before shooting the first guy in the leg. He yelled in pain before falling on the ground, cussing at me the whole time.

"You little…" I shot him again in the foot. The other two barged at me, but Roy held them off. I couldn't shoot them since I didn't want to hit Roy. Instead, I put the gun in my waistband and started using the few martial arts moves Ben had taught me. Soon, both guys were subdued and I was holding the Smith & Wesson at them.

"Now's who's a defenseless little girl?" I implored. Both guys trembled in fear. I cold cocked them both and placed the pistol back into my waistband.

"August Havens, you've got skills," Roy said proudly as he slung his gun bag over his shoulder. I blushed and helped him get June.

As we snuck through the narrow hallways, I held my gun down by my hips, ready for action. This time, we didn't run into any henchman though. Roy led me to the exit and into the blinding light. I gasped for air, overcome with relief. I hadn't even realized that I had been holding my breath.

But, our troubles weren't over yet. I heard footsteps running towards us and male voices yelling in Spanish. "Crap!" I yelled. Roy somehow pulled me behind a van right as the enemy began shooting at us. I quickly reloaded my gun and held it steady.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," Roy explained. "We need to get in this van and drive to the Red Hook Harbor. I have a private plane registered there. But, we'll have to lay down cover to get out of here. All right?"

I nodded and slowly slid open the back door. We both climbed in quietly and Roy got in the driver's seat, leaving June on the floor in the back. I stayed crouched down beside her, the Smith & Wesson clutched in my hands. For a few moments, all was silent except for my rapidly beating heart. Then, Roy slammed on the gas, burning rubber and shooting us across the parking lot. I screamed as I fell on top of June. A flurry of bullets pierced through the van's exterior.

I slid open the back door a little bit and saw that we were being followed by Quintana's men, who were in two black Mustangs. I started to think of a plan as I took off the safety on my gun. Then, I began shooting at the cars' tires. I blew two on the first one right away and they went off the road, out of control. "Yes!" I said in triumph as I reloaded.

"August, what are you doing?" Roy yelled from up front. "You need to stay down!"

"Roy, I just took out one of Quintana's cars! I shot at the tires!" As soon as I said that, a bullet barely missed my head. I ducked and managed to shut the door. "Where are we?" I asked. "How far is it to the harbor?"

"We're in Brooklyn Heights," Roy replied. "It's only about ten minutes away from the harbor." He then swerved to avoid hitting a city bus. I was thrown against the back door that wasn't shut very tightly. I shrieked as I began to fall out. Luckily, the van had a ladder on the back that I could grab onto. Bad news was; I was now exposed to the guys who were shooting at us.

I hooked my elbow around the ladder and took aim at the tires again. I took a deep breath and shot at the car again. I didn't succeed at blowing out the tires, but I did graze the driver. The car flew off the road into the Hudson River. Then, I heard sirens. "Oh, great!" I climbed down the ladder into the van. "Roy, it's the cops!"

"Don't worry, I got this." He threw the van around into a parking lot. "We're here." He got out and I followed, still pretty freaked out from staring Death right in the face. We both picked up June and carried her towards a small silver jet awaiting us.

"This is your plane? It looks like a tin can!" I exclaimed as I looked at the jet.

"We don't have time for this, August!" Roy helped me into the copilot seat and put June into a little storage area behind us. He handed me a pair of those headphone things that pilots always wear. "Put these on."

I obeyed and sat in silence as Roy taxied the plane onto a makeshift runway. "This is November 567, requesting permission to take off," Roy said into the radio.

"Skies are clear, November 567. Permission granted." Roy smiled and let the plane speed up before lifting it into the sky. My stomach jumped as we flew higher, leaving the cops far below us.

"So long, suckers!" I yelled while blowing them a kiss. I examined the small plane as we headed east. "What type of plane is this, Roy?" I asked.

"She's a Cessna 172. I got her in Wichita a few years ago. Great getaway plane. I call her 'Sarah'. I'm a real _Chuck _fan."

I laughed. "So am I! I have all of the seasons on DVD at home!" I settled back against my seat. "So, where are we going? Austria?"

"Well, not exactly. We need to make a pit stop at my place in the Azores."

"The what-ores?"

"The Azores. They're a group of islands off the coast of Portugal. I have a safe house over there. I need to get you and June some fake I.D.'s so we won't be caught in Europe. Okay?"

I nodded and peered out the window at the endless ocean. "That's a long way down. Do we have enough fuel?"

"Yep. I filled her up a few days ago. She'll be good for our flight." He went back to flying Sarah.

"Roy, why didn't you drug me?"

"What?"

"It's a simple question. Why didn't you drug me?"

"Well, first off, you were coping well, especially since you knocked out your own cousin who was trying to kill me. Second, it was very difficult trying to get you and June from Indiana to Boston. I wasn't even going to try to attempt it for Europe. So, June was the weakest link and you took care of her."

I smiled proudly. "Yeah, I guess I did." We were quiet for a few minutes.

"August, how are you so brave? I mean, June's sort of a scaredy cat sometimes, but you've been so strong and courageous the whole time. How do you do that?"

"Umm…can you keep a secret?"

"Of course."

"Well, I lost my parents in a car accident when I was thirteen. But, I was in the car at the time. We were heading home from a movie and my mom had fallen asleep in the back seat. I was in the front with my dad." I could still hear the metal crunching and glass breaking from the impact.

"A drunk driver crossed in front of us, and my dad couldn't miss him. We crashed and I was knocked out in the initial impact. But, I woke up covered in blood. I began screaming and crying, even though most of it wasn't mine. It was my dad's. I only had a few cuts and bruises and a small fracture in my ankle. My mother had died instantly since the drunk driver had hit her and my dad's side. My dad was still alive and he took my hand that was sticky with his blood."

"And he told me, 'Be strong, August. You still have a lot of strength left in you.' Then, he lost consciousness and I was left alone. I screamed for help and the paramedics came to get us. They had to sedate me since I couldn't stop screaming. The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital bed and June was holding my hand. April was standing by her, tears streaming down her face. And they told me that my parents had died. From that moment on, I decided to do what my dad had told me and remain strong, no matter how scared I was. That's why I'm so brave."

Roy was quiet and I knew he was processing my story. "That's really sad, August. I had no idea of your past."

I wiped away a few silent tears. "It's fine. I better get some rest, though. It's a long way to the Azores." I turned over away from Roy and reclined my seat a little bit. "Goodnight, Roy."

"Night, August."

~*O*~

I was yanked from my sleep by Roy shaking me. "August, wake up!" I sat up straight.

"What is it?"

"Antonio Quintana has sent an air strike after us! I need you to control the gun in the back." He pointed to a large machine gun that I hadn't noticed sitting at the back of the plane.

"Sarah has a machine gun?" I muttered as I climbed over June and sat on the seat in front of the gun. I looked through the scope and saw the four planes chasing after us. "Prepare to eat lead!" I screamed as I pulled the trigger. I watched as bullets went flying out, peppering the other small planes. One blew up after a few hits. "Yes, I got one!"

"Don't get cocky, August." I rolled my eyes and kept shooting, feeling like Marion in _Raiders of the Lost Ark._ _**(Yes, I love Indiana Jones, too. **_**Raiders**_** is my favorite.)**_

Soon, I had three of four planes down. The other one was fancier, dodging my bullets with ease. I frowned and kept firing, hoping one would hit it. I was wrong. Instead, it hit us. The impact rocked our tiny craft. "August, we've got to bail out!" Roy began grabbing parachutes out of a container as alarm bells blared throughout Sarah.

"Bail out? Roy, are you crazy? We could die!" Roy ignored me and started gearing up June. He tossed me a pair of goggles and a parachute. I realized that he was serious and pulled on the goggles. Roy assisted me with the parachute and opened up the door. I made sure that mine and June's bags were on us before fearfully peering outside. I almost passed out.

"You're going first. I'll follow with June." Roy explained.

"We're going to parachute into the ocean! Oh my gosh!" I tried not to get hysterical. "I pull on this, right?" I pointed to a lever on the chute.

"Yes, now go!" I said a quick prayer before leaping out of the plane. For a few seconds, I freefalled, screaming my head off. I looked up and saw Roy had dove out with June. "August, pull your chute!" he yelled over the wind.

I did and was instantly pulled up. I felt heat blowing around me and saw that Sarah had blown up. "Oh my gosh!" I shrieked. Then, I held my breath as the ocean came closer to me. Soon, it enveloped me and I fought through my parachute to the surface. Roy was already there, shedding his parachute off and getting June's as well. He pulled mine off next.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied shakily. I spit the saltwater out of my mouth. "Where's your place?"

"Well…we're going to have to swim ten miles."

"Ten miles!" I wanted to strangle him. I could barely run two miles on my high school track team! How was I supposed to swim that far?

"It's not that far…" he trailed off before his eyes grew wide. "Duck!" He pushed me under the surface right before the remaining plane took us out. I screamed right before I had been pulled under and tried not to drown on the mouthful of seawater I had taken. My lungs burned as Roy finally brought me up. I spit out water again, wiping my mouth.

"Which way?" I asked. Roy smiled before pointing north. I sighed and began swimming after him.

~*O*~

The ten mile swim ended up being to another island called Azucena. (Spanish for 'lily') I was fuming as I crawled onto the white sandy beach, my legs feeling like they were on fire. "I'm going to kill you, Roy," I muttered as I collapsed onto the beach.

"What was that?" Roy was dragging June out of the water.

"How come you didn't tell me earlier that this wasn't your island?"

Roy shrugged. "I didn't think that you would mind."

"You didn't think that I would mind? Roy, I just swam ten miles thinking that I was going to your island! Not some other island for a rest stop!"

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I keep a speedboat here to take us to my island?"

I grinned, relieved that he still had a plan. "Yes, much better." I got up, trying not to fall since my legs still hurt. I then noticed that my clothes were all messed up and dirty. Figures, since I had worn them crawling through an old warehouse, escaping from a nasty prison, and fleeing a plane crash. I usually wasn't the type of girl to get freaked out about clothes, but it did bother me for some reason.

I shook the thought away and went with Roy up the beach and to a small town within the edge of a wild forest. "It's called San Jose," Roy explained as we plodded up the main street. "My boat's at the docks on the other side of town." I wasn't really paying attention because I was looking at all of the little shops in wonder.

Also, I was watching all of the Spanish looking people who were peering at us with curiosity. I probably would too, since it most likely looked like a secret agent looking man carrying an unconscious blond woman, followed by another blond teenager who was soaking wet and had hair falling in her face. No wonder people were staring at us.

"We probably need to change clothes," Roy suggested. "We look very suspicious."

"We look like three people who fell into the ocean," I corrected. Roy laughed and led us to one of the small shops. A plump middle age woman came out from behind the counter and hugged Roy, speaking happily in Spanish.

"I buy a lot of my supplies from her," Roy told me. "She basically treats me like a son." The woman then brought her attention to me. I smiled.

"Hola, mi nombre es August Havens," I introduced myself. _(Translation: Hello, my name is August Havens.)_

The woman grinned. "Soy Rosa Martinez. Bienvenido a mi tienda." _(I am Rosa Martinez. Welcome to my shop.)_

"Habla ingles?" I asked. _(Do you speak English?) _My Spanish was still a little rusty and I didn't want to insult her if I said something wrong.

"Yes," Rosa said with a heavy accent. "Do you need clothes?"

"Si," I replied. "What would you suggest?"

Rosa snapped her fingers. "I have just the thing." She hurried over to a shelf and pulled a white sundress with a bright flower print down. It had a coral ruffle around the hem and had a white ribbon halter top. I took it from Rosa and went to try it on.

I slipped the dress on and gasped. It was a perfect fit. I tied the halter top behind my neck and took the time to fix my hair, quickly putting it up in a ponytail. I wiped my smeared makeup off using my old cami before walking out of the dressing room.

I found Roy had changed as well into a white shirt and denim shorts. He also had a denim jacket to go with the outfit. He was holding up a red bikini. "Roy, is there something that you haven't told me?" I asked jokingly.

Roy almost dropped the bikini. "It's not for me, it's for June. Do you think that she'd like this?"

I personally was pretty sure that she'd hate it, but decided to get under her skin. "She'd love it, Roy. Besides, we are in the tropics." I couldn't wait to see the look on June's face when she saw what she was wearing. Roy tried to buy our clothes, but Rosa wouldn't let him. She even gave me a pair of brown flip flops to go with my dress. I thanked her and we left, heading for the docks.

"She was nice," I commented as we walked along.

"Yep. Here we are." I shielded my eyes from the sun to see a bunch of different boats tied to a few sun bleached wooden docks.

"Which one is yours?" I asked.

Roy pointed to a slender white speedboat shining in the early morning light. "That one right there. Isn't it a beauty?"

"Sure is," I replied. Roy stepped onto the boat first and placed June on the floor. Then, he helped me get over the motor and into the speedboat. I sat down on a small bench and held onto a rail set into the side. Knowing Roy, he would most likely drive fast.

Roy climbed in after I was settled and stood at the steering wheel at the front of the boat. "Are you ready?"

"Ready!" I exclaimed as I tightened my hold on the rail. I gasped as the boat took off at a sudden rush of speed. I would've almost been thrown off the boat if it wasn't for my tight grip on the rail. "Please don't throw me into the ocean, Roy!" I teased. "I've already gotten soaked once today!" Roy laughed and kept steering the speedboat through the crystal blue water.

I leaned back against the side, allowing the sun's rays to work their magic on me. I smiled as I thought of all the adventures I had had in only a few short days. Two plane crashes, two car chases, traveling to New York and now the Azores, and being captured by the enemy twice! I sighed happily. _What adventures await us next?_

_**A/N: End of chapter 6! Roy's island is up next! What twists will I throw into this part? You'll have to wait and see… **_

_**This chapter was actually really fun to write since I didn't have to constantly refer to the movie to make sure that I got a certain part right. I basically used my imagination! What did you all think of August's past? I almost cried when I wrote it. :( Also, I have posted a link on my profile to a picture of August! Please go check it out! (I'll also post other pictures as I go along lol.) Keep on R&R!**_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I watched as a small green dot grew closer and closer on the horizon. "We're almost there," Roy said with a smile as he checked his cell phone. I was extremely excited to see Roy's island just because I wondered if it was a crazy place like him. I guess I was about to find out.

Soon, the island became more in focus and Roy steered the boat into a pretty crescent moon shaped bay. I jumped into the warm water to help him pull the boat onto the white sandy beach. "How long until June wakes up?" I asked while yanking on a rope attached to the boat.

"About two hours," Roy replied nonchalantly.

"Okay," I said quickly. "Where are we going to put her until then?"

"I have a bungalow over there." He pointed up the beach. I followed his hand and saw a small hut nestled near the edge of the trees. It looked very quaint and cozy. Roy gently picked up June and carried her to his house, placing her in a hammock. I frowned when I saw how messed up she was. Lying on dirty floors had not been good for her.

"Do you think we should change her clothes?" I suggested.

"I can while you rest," Roy answered. "I know that you must be tired."

I shook my head. "No way, Roy. Out!" I kicked him lightly in the butt. "Go on, get out. Shoo! Go catch fish or something. I'll take care of June." I pushed him out of the open air hut back to the beach.

"All right, all right! I'll be in the water if you need me." He pulled off his shirt and grabbed a spear before wading into the clear blue water. I turned my attention back to June. I found a blanket and made a makeshift curtain to give us some privacy. I still wasn't going to trust Roy to not peek. I'd seen enough TV shows to know how perverted guys could be. Also, the guys were pretty stupid at my school, too.

A few minutes later, June was dressed in the red bikini and I was taking down the blanket curtain. I tossed her old nasty clothes into a corner and went down to the water. Roy was coming up with a large fish in his hands. "Nice," I commented.

"Yup. Is June…uh, changed?"

"Yeah. So, what's next, Roy?"

"First off, I need to make you and June's fake ID's so we won't attract attention from Fitz or Antonio Quintana's men. Then, we need to get from here to Portugal, which is safer than Spain."

"Why?" I wondered aloud.

"That's where Tony lives. In Sevilla, Spain. If he finds out I'm in his country, we'll be in a world of pain."

"So, Portugal is just another rest stop."

Roy nodded. "Yeah, basically. We'll refuel and fly from Lisbon to Paris. It's a long flight, but I think we can handle it. From there, we'll ride a train to Munich, Germany and get on the train that Simon's on there. It'll take us to Salzburg, where we'll be safe…for now." He added the last part under his breath, but I still heard it.

"What do you mean 'for now'?" I asked with my hands on my hips.

"Well, Fitz and Tony are still after us for the Zephyr, so I'd give them about two days to find us in Salzburg. But, we need to get Simon and make sure that you and June make it to April's wedding. Sound good?"

"Sounds awesome," I said with a smile. "What do we need to do first?"

~*O*~

Within fifteen minutes, I was posing in front of a blue sheet for my new fake passport. My name was now Madison Taylor Clark, the niece of Rodney Franklin Edwards and his wife Julia Kelsey Edwards.

Our cover story was that we were meeting a friend (Simon) in Austria for a family trip. Rodney and Julia had been happily married for two years and adored/ spoiled their teenage niece. The trip to Austria was a gift for Maddie's sixteenth birthday. I had come up with the idea that Roy and June were married and Roy agreed. I originally did it to annoy June since she hated Roy, but Roy thought it would be a good cover. He already had two wedding rings (don't ask me why) in his bungalow. I slipped the ring on June's finger while she slept to freak her out.

Roy finished printing out the pages to my passport. "When's your birthday?" he asked while getting the papers in the right order.

"June 28, 1995," I stated my fake birthday. (My real birthday's in August, in case you didn't know.)

"Where do you live?"

"New York City."

"Who are your parents?"

"Emma and Matthew Clark."

"When were Julia and I married?"

"On May 8, 2008 in the Hamptons."

"What activities are you involved in?"

"I am in the academic team, the girls' show choir, and Spanish club."

"Perfect on all questions. Now, here's your passport, Miss Clark." He handed me the navy blue U.S. passport with a flourish.

"Thank you, Uncle Rodney," I replied with a smile. Just then, June began to stir. Roy and I both left the bungalow to let her vent about what happened before explaining the plan. Within a minute, I heard a scream. I bolted in there to find June staring at the wedding ring, eyes bulging.

"August, what is _that?_" she asked while pointing to the offending object.

"Don't you remember what happened last night, June?" I answered innocently.

"No, August, I have no recollection of last night. Please fill in the details."

"Oh, so you don't remember how Roy saved our lives and you fell so head over heels, you wanted to get married. You were a bit out of it from the drugs Roy gave you, but we pulled together a quick ceremony in New York before flying over here to Roy's island." It was hard saying the whole thing with a straight face, but I somehow pulled it off. June's face went white before her eyes blazed with anger. She stomped outside where Roy was chopping up his fish.

"Roy!" she yelled. He looked up, startled.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," he managed to say.

"How long have I been out?" she demanded.

"Eighteen hours," Roy replied. I leaned against one of the wooden posts in the bungalow, enjoying the show. _I wish that I would've brought some popcorn._

"How did this get on my finger?" she said while waving the diamond ring, allowing the sun's rays to glint off of the stone.

Roy looked shocked. "I have no idea." He gave me a raised eyebrow and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I couldn't help it!" I said, defending myself.

"Where am I?" June asked, just now noticing the lush foliage.

"My place," Roy told her. "We're off-grid. No one's ever found me here. Shame we can't stay longer, but we've got a rendezvous with Simon. He's fine. August and I figured out his code. He's crazy about trains. He used the passport I gave him and went to Austria."

"You drugged me again, Roy," June said forcefully.

"Yeah," Roy agreed.

June seemed shocked. "You can't do that." I stifled a laugh as I watched them.

"You already sound like a married couple!" I put in.

"August, just stay out of it!" June yelled with her back still to me.

"You weren't coping well," Roy put in. "I'm not sure if you were awake, if they would've even let you live."

"Oh my gosh, did you drug August, too?"

"No," I said a little smugly. "I cope well." June gave me a "look", but I ignored it. June then looked down at the red bikini and blushed.

"What am I wearing?"

"Huh?" Roy didn't look like he understood.

"Huh?" June asked him angrily.

"A bikini," Roy answered, a bit confused. "We're in the tropics."

"August isn't in a bikini," June pointed out.

"That's because I pick out my own clothes," I said with a laugh. June turned three different shades of red, one of which matched the red bikini perfectly.

"How did I get into the bikini?" June inquired, enunciating each word. I gave Roy a "look" that meant to say that he did it, not me. He gave me a wink in return.

"June, I've been trained to dismantle a bomb in the pitch black with nothing but a safety pin and a Junior Mint. I think I can get you in and out of some clothes without…looking." June glared at him. "I'm not saying that's what I did," he defended himself, "but…"

At that point, June tried to punch him in the face, but he caught her wrist. "Okay. Sorry, reflex," Roy said, letting go of her wrist. "I deserved that. Hit me again. I won't stop you." June just huffed and went back to the bungalow. "June?" Roy asked. June grabbed Roy's shirt and her purse off of a chair, heading off towards the jungle.

"June?" I called.

"June!" Roy said loudly. My idiotic cousin continued into the jungle.

"That went well," I said with sarcasm. Roy began chopping up the fish again. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

"Nah, she won't get far," he replied without looking up. "It's a small island."

I decided to follow her, slipping on my new flip flops. "I'll be back." I sprinted through the sand into the dense jungle, following the sound of my cousin's muttering.

"…paper clips and Junior Mints… 'Not that I'm saying that's what I did'."

"June!" I yelled. She jumped a foot and turned around.

"Geez, August, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry."

"Why do you always have to provoke me?"

"Because you always have great reactions to it. Did I mention that you have to act as Roy's wife when we're in Europe, Mrs. Julia Edwards?"

"Oh no, I'm not!"

"Oh yes, you are! Did I also mention that Roy actually didn't drug you?"

"Well, then who did?"

"I did with Roy's tranq darts." I lifted up my skirt to show her the gun resting in a leg holster Roy had let me borrow. June looked like she might either faint or strangle me or Roy or maybe both of us. Luckily, June's shirt pocket began to ring.

_Louie, Louie_

_Oh no, me gotta go_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

"Is this his phone?" June asked while pulling a black iPhone out of the pocket.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Beats me." The screen showed a map with "Movement Alert" in big red letters before zooming in on a house.

"5826 Amapola," June read. The screen zoomed in again on an old guy polishing an old black car outside of the house. "That's a '67 Grand Prix," June said.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, June." Then, June's phone began to ring. "June, don't answer it," I said cautiously.

June didn't hear me and clicked a button to show who was calling. "I thought we were off the grid," she muttered. "It's April."

"June, don't answer it!" I yelled while trying to grab it. It didn't work since June shoved me away, knocking me into a coconut tree and making me black out.

"April?" I heard her greet her sister happily. "April! I know! No, we're okay!"

"June, hang up the phone! They can track us, you moron!" I screamed.

"August, I'm trying to talk to my sister! Listen, April…April? April? April, can you hear me? April!" She continued to walk further into the jungle. I slowly got up and lurched towards the direction she had headed, still feeling lightheaded and dizzy.

"June, hang up!" I screamed again.

"April, can you…" June trailed off as she realized she was standing on another beach. She finally hung up as I stumbled onto the beach. "Where are we?" she enunciated.

"The middle of the middle of nowhere?" I suggested.

~*O*~

_Sevilla, Spain_

Antonio Quintana sat at his desk in his office, listening to the voice of the women on the tiny island.

"_I know! No, we're okay!"_

"_June, hang up the phone! They can track us, you moron!"_

"_August, I'm trying to talk to my sister! Listen, April…April? April? April, can you hear me? April!" _The recording shut off.

"_Quienes es las chicas?" _the man asked. _(Who are the {or those} girls?)_

"We don't know, Antonio," his right hand man, Eduardo answered. "We traced the phone to the Azores. We're in range now."

Antonio nodded. "Get to them before the agency."

~*O*~

June and I walked back to Roy's bungalow after I convinced her that we had nowhere else to go, anyway. Roy had the denim jacket on now.

"Perfect timing. Lunch is ready," he said. _Either he's forgotten the argument, or he doesn't want to bring it up again._ "You must be thirsty," he continued while using a sharp looking machete to cut a coconut. "It's coconut, loaded with electrolytes."

June smiled and grabbed his arm and tried to sweep his leg, but he dodged her attempts while still holding on to the coconut.

"Cool, dinner and a show," I put in as I grabbed the other half of the coconut. I sat down to watch this fight.

"Just…Whoa, okay?" Roy said calmly while trying to control my furious cousin. She kicked the coconut out of his hand in response.

"Did I forget to tell you that she also taught me some self-defense?" I asked. They ignored me since June had thrown a punch that Roy dodged easily.

"Whoa, just whoa, okay?" he repeated. She threw a punch again that Roy just sidestepped. "Yeah?" She threw another one that he dodged. "Yeah!" Another punch that he didn't hit him. "Hey, you've got skills." June threw another punch that he caught her arm on, pulling her into his arms.

"My dad wanted boys," June grunted while trying to escape. "Let me go."

"You can get out anytime you want," Roy told her. "I'll show you. Hands like Houdini." June reluctantly made her hands flat against her chest. "Turn your palms down, and all at once, throw your hands to the ground and your hips back." June followed his instructions and easily escaped him, falling onto the sand. She smiled the first real smile since we had arrived. "Nice," he complemented her. "That was good."

He reached down to help her up, but she pulled him down with her, rolling them across the sand. They landed on top of one another, giggling like little kids. June looked romantically into his eyes and I could tell she was thinking of every romance scene from every romance novel she had read over the past year.

"Remember, there's a teenager over here!" I yelled. They didn't hear me and I walked over to hear June whisper,

"Who are you? Really." Roy looked at her gently, but didn't answer, instead leaning down to kiss her. I turned away, but heard a low roaring sound, turning back in time to see a fighter jet flying low over the island.

"Oh, _crap!"_ I screamed as it flew closer.

"I don't understand," Roy said. The jet flew closer and Roy pulled June up off the sand. "Follow me!" I obeyed, looping my purse around my chest. We ran across the beach, bombs exploding behind us as we sprinted towards the jungle. June grabbed her bag right before the jet blew up the house. We quickly dove into a river by the entrance to the jungle, gasping for air as we saw the bungalow burning to the ground.

"I don't understand," Roy repeated. "I came in clean." He swam over to the other side of the river and we followed him. I gave June dirty looks the whole way. Roy pulled us into the jungle and we ran for our lives. "My phone is secure. It's secure," Roy continued. "Unless you made a call, and you didn't make a call."

"No, I didn't make a call," June agreed.

"No, you took a call, you moron!" I yelled. "Remember, there's a little thing called GPS tracking!"

Roy looked at her strangely. "You took a call?"

"It was a quick one," June said in her defense.

"Quick enough for whomever it was to track us down to _kill_ us!" I put in. The plane flew over the clearing we were in, forcing us to flee.

"Come on!" Roy said quickly. We fled up a cliff, June babbling the whole time.

"I thought we were off the grid, and then the phone rang…"

"It's okay," Roy soothed.

"June, this is one of those moments when you need to shut up!" I yelled. Once again, this was a time that I didn't want to hear June babble about some crap when we were about to die!

"…it was my sister and I had to take the call. You know? I didn't want her to worry."

"Watch your step," Roy told me as he jumped over a root. He pulled off a camouflage army tarp to reveal a tiny helicopter with a large storage space.

"That is so awesome!" I said. June was turning green.

"No, no, no…I can't get into that. I just can't get into that thing," she pleaded. Roy pulled some levers to get the propellers going. "I can't get into that."

Roy helped me into the storage space. "June," he said while holding out his hand.

"June, it's fine," I said. "Now get in the dang helicopter!"

"Roy, just please, just knock me out. Use broton-seven or whatever," she begged.

"Oh, for crying out loud," I groaned. "June, we are going to die if you don't get in here!" Roy walked over to June and I hoped at the least he would drag her, kicking and screaming, inside. If he wouldn't, I definitely would!

"It's okay," Roy said while putting a hand on June's neck.

"You're grabbing my neck," June replied in her "I'm really freaked out" voice.

"You asked me not to drug you," Roy told her.

"Okay, good," June said before passing out and falling onto the ground. Roy scooped her up and carried her over to the helicopter. I jumped into the copilot seat so June could lie in the back.

"You've got to teach me how to do that," I said as Roy got in.

"Not right now, August." Roy put on a pair of headphones and gave me a pair. I slid them on. "Did you get the passports?"

"Yeah, I hope June's old driver's license picture will work." Roy had ended up scanning June's license photo for her passport. At least we all had fake passports to use to get us across Europe. The tiny helicopter lifted into the sky, flying over the burning island. I felt especially bad for Roy since this was his secret place that he could hide. And now we had destroyed it. "Sorry about your island, Roy," I said quietly. "I tried to get June to hang up, but it didn't work."

Roy smiled. "It's okay, August." The fighter jet then noticed our helicopter.

"Oh, crap," I muttered.

"Don't worry. I got this." Roy twirled the helicopter in flight moves that you would only see in blockbuster movies. Or in this case, a fighter jet trying to kill us. I don't remember much since I was trying to not throw up during our escape.

Around two hours of eluding the jet in the clouds, Roy finally saw land. We felt relieved as we descended towards the earth. Then, a roaring sound enveloped us as Roy brought the helicopter up. Too late, a missile had ripped off the back of the copter. "We're going to die!" I screamed as we fell rapidly. Roy threw me a parachute.

"August, go!"

"I'm not leaving you guys!"

"You can and you will! Now go!" Roy strapped the parachute and goggles on me before throwing me out of the falling helicopter. I barely managed to pull the chute as heat surrounded me.

"_Roy! June!"_ I screamed as I saw the helicopter become obliterated. _"No!"_ A piece of flying debris hit me on the head, knocking me out. My parachute drifted into a wild forest, finally becoming hooked onto a tree branch. I had no idea, of course, since I was unconscious. But, silent tears trickled down my face as I relived that explosion again and again…

_**Yay! This chapter is finished! What will happen to August, June, and Roy? Are Roy and June dead? Will August be able to survive on her own? You'll have to find out in the next chapter!**_

_**Sorry that this chapter took so long, but I sat at my computer for three hours researching and typing off the top of my head to type this chapter. So, if it's bad, I'm sorry! I've got a lot going on right now with school, so I'll try to update as often as I can! :)**_

_**P.S. If you ever want a song to get you into a writing mood, listen to "Interlude" by Attack Attack! It's a techno song that made me want to write this chapter! I also listened to the Tron: Legacy soundtrack, too for a little bit. :D Adios, amigos! **_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Almada, Portugal_

Have you ever had a splitting headache? Well, take that times ten and that's how my forehead felt like when I first awoke after the helicopter crash. I had no idea where I was, my head hurt, and I was floating in midair. _Wait, floating?_ My eyes snapped open and I gasped when I saw that my parachute had landed on an overhanging tree branch, leaving me hanging twelve feet off the ground.

"Crap," I muttered. I had a Swiss Army knife in my purse that I could use to cut the lines, but it would be a nasty fall. I couldn't just wait for someone to see my predicament and come save me, especially if it was Antonio Quintana's men searching for me, June, and Roy. I would have to save myself.

I saw a nearby tree branch and began to swing towards it, hoping to get on it so I could cut the lines and not fall. From there, I could easily climb down and not injure myself any further than I already had. I grabbed onto the branch and pulled myself on it, throwing off the goggles in the process. I got the knife out of my purse and cut myself free of the parachute, allowing it to blow gently in the wind. Then, I climbed down from the tree, almost crying with relief when I finally touched solid ground.

"Okay, what next?" I asked myself while looking around. Peering through the trees, I saw a road heading north. _Okay, so Roy said that we were heading to Lisbon, then fly to Paris, take a train to Munich, and finally head to Salzburg. I should probably follow that plan and get Simon to safety, even though the Zephyr was…destroyed along with my cousin and Roy. _I shook away the thoughts before I started bawling. _I have to finish this mission, with or without Roy and June._ I had my fake passport and some euros I could use to get me across Europe. All I had to do was get me there. I held my head up high, straightened my bag, and headed for the road.

~*O*~

_Half a mile south of August's location_

In another clearing, debris from a small military helicopter was scattered. Among that debris was a charred white parachute billowing in the breeze. Roy Miller crawled out from underneath it, gasping for air. He dragged out June with him. _**(See, I wouldn't kill them off! :D)**_

They had barely survived the wreck. Roy had had only mere seconds to strap him and June into another parachute and dive out before the helicopter exploded. Some burning wreckage had burned their parachute, but they had luckily managed to land safely without being hurt. Roy looked around to see if August had landed near them, but he caught no sight of her. He struggled to keep from panicking.

_Come on, Miller, don't be emotional. She's just a liability, not your real niece or anything. _But, Roy realized that August Marie Havens had become more than just an unwanted companion that had come along for the ride. She had almost been like a niece to him and he was proud of her. She definitely had skills. Roy peered through the foliage of the forest again, but saw no sign of August. _"I'm not leaving you guys!" _he could remember hearing her shriek. _Oh, Lord, don't let anything happen to her…_

June then began to stir beside him. Roy had forgotten to apply more pressure to her neck, so she hadn't had lasted as long as he thought she would. She opened her eyes and looked into his face. "Roy, where are we?"

"Portugal, I believe," he answered honestly. He sincerely hoped June wouldn't blame August's disappearance on him.

June sat up and glanced at her surroundings. Her forehead furrowed into worry lines. "Where's August?" she asked, her voice bordering on hysterical.

"Uh…" Roy wasn't sure how to tell the blond woman. _They don't teach you how to survive June Havens's moods in training._

"Roy, where…is…my…cousin?" June ordered, enunciating each word.

"Um…she might've been tossed out of a helicopter…" June's face turned red and seemed like she might start screaming at him. "But she popped her chute. I saw her pull it."

"Roy, you threw my fifteen year old cousin out of a helicopter! She doesn't know what to do out on her own! She could be captured, killed, mugged, tortured, and all sorts of other crap! What made you decide to throw her out?"

"First of all, she wasn't going to leave without us. I didn't want her to die, so I was practically forced to throw her out. The helicopter was on fire, June! We had only seconds to spare before we all went up in flames!"

"She's still only a teenager, Roy! Who knows what could happen to her?"

"August is very skilled. She managed to render you unconscious, shoot the tires off two cars while holding onto a moving vehicle, parachute multiple times, speak in a different language, and has basic knowledge of hand-to-hand combat. She'll be fine for the time being."

"Well, you better go find her because I don't believe you." June got up and walked into the forest, yelling August's name. Roy ran up behind her and covered her mouth.

"I don't like doing this, June, but Tony could have spies everywhere searching for us. We don't want to call attention to ourselves, at least not now." Just then, there was a rustling in the bushes. June's eyes widened and she almost screamed out of pure fear. Roy silently reached into his waistband and pulled out a pistol. He let go of June and got ready for anything.

Then, he heard a quiet thump and whirled around. June was lying unconscious on the ground, a large bump on the back of her head. Roy quickly turned back the other way and found himself face-to-face with a Portuguese looking man. The man raised a hand, wielding a taser. Roy grabbed the man's arm and twisted it behind his back, making him drop the weapon. But, right as he delivered a knock out blow, he felt a pain in his shoulder. Roy then collapsed onto the forest floor, a large tranquilizer dart in him.

Another two henchmen stepped out of the trees and began searching the clearing. They checked all of Roy's and June's pockets and June's purse. They even tore apart the chopper, looking for a secret compartment. Finally, they gave up, looking at the two unconscious hostages. "The other girl must have it," one of the men said in Portuguese.

"We better go find her, then," the other replied. Having no use for Roy Miller and his female companion, the two men left them behind, not knowing that the Zephyr had been lying in some bushes only five feet from where they were standing.

~*O*~

I was still walking along the road, trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. _I should be bawling my eyes out, but I can't. My cousin and her "friend" are both dead and there's a guy who has all the knowledge of a potential weapon wandering around Austria unsupervised. Oh, great. _I saw a small village close to me and steered myself towards it._ Maybe I can get directions to Lisbon there._

I entered the village about ten minutes later, trying not to break down into tears. _Come on August, don't attract attention to yourself. You can cry all you want after you get into a hotel room or bathroom. Just don't cry in the middle of the town square._

Looking towards the river on the edge of the village, I noticed a ferry sitting in the water. There was a sign next to it written in Portuguese, but I recognized one word. "Lisbon," I whispered before heading over to the boat. _"Perdon, senor," _I asked the ferry captain. _(Excuse me, sir.)_

"_Si, senorita?"_ the man responded. _(Yes, miss/ young lady?)_

"_Habla ingles?" _ I implored, not wanting to screw up with Spanish again.

"Yes, miss," the ferry captain said. "How may I help you?"

"I need a ride to Lisbon," I replied. "But, I don't have a lot of money. Can I do an odd job or something for you in exchange?"

The captain raised an eyebrow. "An 'odd job'?"

"Yeah, like mopping the deck or something."

Just then, a guy about my age came walking towards us. _"__Vovô__, que __você está falando__? __Precisamos__sair!"__ (Grandpa, who are you talking to? We need to leave!)_

"Umm…" I said. I had no idea what he had just said. In fact, I couldn't help staring at his abs. "I'm August," I told him, still in a daze.

"_Perdon, Senorita August," _the guy said. "I'm Carlos. Welcome to our boat."

"Yes, I believe we can let you aboard," the ferry captain agreed. "Free of charge."

"Oh, thanks!" I said happily. The two men escorted me on board the ferry. No other people were on board. It was a little fishy, but it was a small town. Maybe no one needed to go to Lisbon today.

"I'm sorry for not speaking in English," Carlos said to me. "I didn't know that you were an American."

I looked at him, puzzled. "It's okay, but how did you know that I was an American?"

"A lucky guess," Carlos explained. I accepted that, but was still wary. _Why are they acting so strangely?_ Suddenly, I heard the sound of a motorboat. Turning towards it, I saw a speedboat approaching the ferry. Two burly men were captaining it. The ferry captain slowed down. Carlos put a firm grip on my wrist and within seconds, had my gun in my lower back.

"What is going on?" I asked. The two men from the speedboat got on the ferry and the captain went to speak to them.

"Here is the girl, like I promised," the old man said. One of the strangers smiled.

"And as pretty as the other woman," he said with a sleazy grin. I struggled in Carlos's grasp.

"What is going on?" I repeated.

"Oh, you know what's happening, Miss Havens," Carlos replied, still keeping my gun in my back. "Don't you know that you have a five million dollar bounty on your head? And you made the mistake of saying your real name."

I realized my stupidity. And it was all because of stupid Carlos's abs! "Let go of me, please," I said through gritted teeth. "Or you'll regret it."

Carlos laughed. "Fat chance, blondie."

"Okay, then," I said. With lightning speed, I elbowed him in a "sensitive region". He shrieked like a little girl and let go of me. I grabbed my gun and held it to his head. "If you let me leave peacefully, I won't hurt him," I told his grandfather. In reply, the captain pulled out a tranq gun and shot me in the shoulder. I fell onto the deck, unconscious. The last thing I remember was someone picking me up and tossing me into the other boat. _Great, now I'm really doomed, _I thought.

~*O*~

A bright light shocked me out of a drugged stupor. I awoke to someone shining a flashlight in my eyes. "Good morning, August," someone said from far away. I tried to focus, but everything was blurry.

"Dang, I didn't know I had four eyes," I muttered. The figure of a man was sitting in front of me, hands clasped before him on a table. I tried to move my arm to get my hair out of my face, but they were tied to the arms of the chair I was sitting in. _Wait, what?_ My eyes snapped into focus. A man in his early thirties looked at me. He was Hispanic looking, with dark brown eyes and a goatee.

"I see the drugs are finally wearing off," he said. "Good to know."

"Who are you?" I snarled.

"I'm _Antonio Mario Montoya Quintana," _he told me. "But, pretty ladies call me Antonio."

I glared at him. "Do some call you 'dirtbag'?"

He laughed. "Don't test me, August. As of now, I hold your life in my hands."

I continued to glare. "And I can easily kick your butt."

"You have spirit. I like that in a woman."

"First of all, I'm fifteen, you creep. So, keep your charms to yourself. Second of all, you've already taken my cousin and Roy away from me, so I don't really care if you kill me. Capiche?"

"Oh, so you don't know that Roy Miller and June Havens are alive, then?"

My gaze softened. "What did you say?"

Antonio pushed a photo across the table towards me. "A security photo taken today at the Lisbon train station. As you can see, your companions are very much alive."

I stared at the photo. It was of Roy and June getting on a train. Roy was looking behind him, as if checking for any tails. June was keeping her face forward, but I noticed some tell-tale tear streaks and worry lines in her forehead. _She's probably worried about me, _I thought. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to know where Roy Miller is heading to. Right now, they are going to Paris. But, I want to know their final destination. And, I know that a smart girl like you has probably been told the plan. So…" He tapped his fingers impatiently on the wooden table. "Where are Roy Miller and June Havens going?"

I gave him a sweet smile. "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you."

"You're testing my patience, Miss Havens. And that's a bad place to be in."

"Well, I'll never tell you, dirtbag. And, I know that you won't kill me since I'm the piece to your puzzle. So, my lips are sealed."

Antonio seemed like he was trying to keep from strangling me. "I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way, then. Eduardo!" he yelled.

A henchman wearing a black suit came into the room, pushing a medical tray in front of him. _"Si, Antonio?"_

"Our guest, Miss Havens, is being a bit…difficult. I was wondering if our new little friend was ready."

"It is, Antonio." Eduardo picked up a syringe from the tray. I began to squirm. I hated needles. For years, I had to get my arm numbed before I got a shot at the doctor's.

"It seems that Miss Havens will be the perfect test subject, too. So, August…" I gave him a death stare. "Will you give me an answer?"

"I'd rather die," I said icily.

"Well, with this drug, you might!" Antonio began to laugh. "Especially since it's never been tested before!" I gasped as Eduardo came closer to me with the syringe. I tried to struggle, but I was tied down tightly to my chair. I felt the sharp prick of a needle entering my skin and the burning of the clear liquid inside of it. In seconds, everything became dizzy again.

"What did you give me?" I ordered, giggling. "This stuff is great!"

"It's a new kind of truth serum we're making at my company," Antonio explained. "Apparently, it seems to work. Now, Miss August,"

"Yeah?" I replied in a ditzy voice.

"Where are your cousin and Roy Miller?"

Everything within me said, _Don't, August! Don't! _I tried to fight it, but my tongue wouldn't cooperate.

"Why, Salzburg, of course, Mr. Antonio!" I giggled.

Antonio smirked at me evilly. "Thank you very much, August." He turned his attention towards Eduardo. "Let her sleep off the effects, since I want to know the side effects, then kill her."

Ice water seemed to run through my veins at his words, and I awoke out of my trance for a moment. _He's going to kill me, _I thought. _I have to escape or die. _Then, it was like I was falling and everything went black.

~*O*~

I moaned in my sleep. _Come on August, get up,_ June's voice said encouragingly. _You can do it! _

"Go away, June," I murmured. Suddenly, I realized that I was on Death Row and awoke. Nausea instantly swept through me and I managed to not spew whatever food was left in my stomach up.

"Gosh, I hate my life," I muttered. Looking around me, I found myself in a cold, stark white cell. I was lying on a cot, which was the only piece of furniture besides a chair. Up above me, a security camera watched my every move. _They can see that I'm awake, _I noticed with fear. _Maybe if I act all loopy, they'll think that I'm still under the effects of the truth serum. It'll also give me time to think of a plan._ I sat up and smiled like a total ditz.

"Hi, June!" I said while looking at the chair. "Honey, you need to eat more. You're as skinny as a rail!" I got up and looked at my surroundings. My bag was sitting on the chair. Ideas began popping in my head. Roy had given me a cell phone in the helicopter right before he threw me out. It couldn't call anybody, but I could take photos and videos and send them to him. I walked towards the chair, which was out of the camera's view. Quickly, I checked my bag and found the phone. It was almost out of battery, so I could probably only take one video.

Biting my lip, I decided to use it for my escape. I snuck up to the camera with the phone and placed it on top of it. I'll admit, I got this idea from _Unaccompanied Minors, _one of my favorite Christmas movies. Then, I pushed "Record" and began pacing the room, sitting on the bed for a few moments and walking around the perimeter. Eduardo was probably notifying Antonio that I was waking up right now. After thirty precious seconds, I went back to the chair and took a hair ribbon out of the bag.

I climbed up beside the phone and pressed "Stop". Being careful, I unplugged the camera, put the phone with the video on "Repeat" on top of the lens, tied it to the camera, and plugged it back in. Now, the monitors showed me continuing to pace around my cell. I got my bag and pulled the chair underneath the ventilation duct.

"You're so stupid, Tony," I laughed. I unscrewed the screws using a quarter and hurried inside. "So long, Tony!" I yelled as I crawled away from my room. I didn't care where the heck I was going, as long as I was away from here!

I had no idea where the ducts would take me, so I kept checking the vents as I went along. _I have to get out of here and warn Roy and June. They probably think I'm dead by now._

All of a sudden, alarm bells rang all around me. _"Attention all guests of the Quintana Hotel." Hotel? Where the heck am I? "A dangerous fugitive has entered the building. She is a blond teenage girl about 5'4" named August Havens. She is wearing a floral print sundress and has her hair in a braid. If you see this girl, call the front desk immediately. And remember, she may look innocent, but she can and will kill you." _The intercom turned off.

"I've got to get out of here!" I cried. I was currently above an air vent overlooking a locker room. _Well, here goes nothing! _I got the vent open and leaped into the room. No one was there since they had probably fled screaming to their rooms. I realized I needed a disguise, and fast! _Wait, I'm in a locker room! There are clothes in here!_

I spun towards the locker beside me and broke the flimsy lock with a five pound weight sitting on a nearby bench. Inside, I found a pair of red and black running shorts, along with a white long sleeve shirt with a Hawaiian flower in the center of it, a red leather jacket, and a pair of black knee-high boots. I quickly stripped and pulled on the clothing. Then, I took my hair out of its braid, letting it flow in long waves down my back. Finally, I fled out of the locker room, following the crowds of other panicked guests shrieking about the dangerous fugitive.

Within minutes, I was outside the hotel. I found myself standing on a crowded street filled with people. _Come on, August, you can enjoy the scenery later. Now, get a move on or face your death! _I ran into the street, blending into the crowds right as two henchmen came outside, searching for me. After glancing around for a girl with a blond braid and floral dress, they headed back inside. I allowed a sly smile as I slowed my pace to a walk, pretending to window shop in the shops along the avenue.

_Now I need to get to Salzburg first. Hopefully I'm not too late! _I quietly strolled down the streets of Lisbon, Portugal, ready for a journey of a lifetime.

_**Yes, this chapter is done! Sorry that this took so long, but I was devoting time to my other story. So, now what will August do? Can she stay out of Antonio Quintana's clutches long enough to warn Roy and June? Will she be able to make it across Europe in time? Or are they all doomed? Find out in the next chapter of Knight and Day: August's Story!**_

_**P.S.: The photo of August has been updated on my profile since the other one didn't work!**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_**Hey guys, it's Aly! I wanted to ask if you guys still enjoy the story, especially since I've not received a single review on chapter 8. I understand if you have computer issues or what not, but I would've liked to hear some feedback. **_

_**I'd like to thank Jasmine James for pointing out that August didn't have a lot of faults. I'm trying to put some in, so bear with me. August is just really kick butt and I kind of went overboard a bit. She does react to a lot of actiony things like I thought a teenage girl would. But, she does have knowledge of firearms and such. So, sit back and enjoy the next chapter!**_

_Lisbon, Portugal_

I continued walking casually down the street, hoping to not attract attention to myself. _Roy and June are alive._ Even the thought was overwhelming. For a day, I thought that they were dead and I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Now, I knew that I had to get to Salzburg, and _fast._ Especially now since Antonio and his men knew where they were going.

Just then, I heard male voices yelling in what I believed was either Spanish or Portuguese. I turned around and gasped when I saw the two goons that had captured me sprinting in my direction. _Run! _My brain screamed. So, I did, attempting to not knock over any passing civilians in the process.

As I ran down the street, I tried to ignore the weird stares that I was getting from bystanders and focus on not collapsing from exhaustion and whatever was left of the truth serum in my body. _Come on, August, just keep running. You have ten years and fifty less pounds on these guys. Just go!_

"Stop that girl!" one of the men yelled. "She's the dangerous fugitive!" He then repeated the same statement in his native language. But, his order had the opposite effect on most of the people. Some of them ran away screaming in fear, while others blocked my path. _Crap!_

A black car then pulled up beside me and a woman with black hair rolled down the window. "Get in!" she yelled with a British accent.

"What?" I replied in shock. "I'm not getting in there!"

The woman sighed and pulled out a pistol, pointing it at my face. "Get in the car, _now!"_

Quickly, I opened the back door of the car and dove in, mostly because I didn't want to get shot. The tires squealed as the car sped away, leaving my enemies behind. "Who are you?" I ordered. "And where are you taking me?"

"Just sit down and shut up," the woman replied without taking her eyes off the road.

"I want to know where I'm going," I persisted. "And if you're going to kill me or not."

In reply, a tranq dart flew into my shoulder and I fell over onto the back seat, unconscious. _This is starting to get old…_I thought.

~*O*~

"Hey kid, wake up," a voice said to me. I opened my eyes and found the strange woman who had rescued me staring me down.

"My name is Madison," I said angrily, using my alias.

The girl laughed. "No, you're not. You're August Marie Havens, daughter of the deceased Conner and Lily Havens, cousin of April and June Havens, and acquaintance of Roy Miller. You're fifteen years old and are the youngest person I know to have a five million dollar bounty on her head. Don't worry, though. I'm a friend of Roy."

For a moment, I was in surprise before getting my courage back. "I don't believe you. How do I know that you're not just trying to get information out of me for Antonio Quintana? I've already told him everything I know, okay?"

The stranger smiled at me. "I am a friend. You can trust me, August. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Kara Jacobs, stylist extraordinaire." She put her hand out for me to shake. I took it gingerly.

"Why did you shoot me?" I asked.

"Well, I didn't want you to know the location of my base. An agent has to have their secrets, after all."

"So, you're an agent, too?" I narrowed my eyes. "You're working with Fitz, aren't you?"

"No! I'd never work with that jerk! Especially since he betrayed Roy. But, enough small talk. I need to get to work on you so you can catch your flight. It leaves in four hours."

"Wait, what flight?" I implored.

"You're leaving on a flight to Munich in four hours. From there, you'll get on the same train that Roy and June are on." I was still staring at her with disbelief. "Fine, if you want proof, I'll show you proof." She helped me off the couch I was lying on and went into a nearby room, coming out with a cell phone. "Roy left me a message only a few hours ago." She pressed a button and Roy's smooth voice came out of the speaker.

"_Kara, it's Roy. I know that you're still at your base in Lisbon, and I need a favor. Antonio Quintana has allegedly kidnapped one of my acquaintances, a teenage girl named August Havens. She is in great danger, and I need your help. _

_Knowing August, she can probably get herself out of any situation, but she'll need a new identity and look to get out of the country. That's where you come in. I know that you can make her look like an entirely different person, and that's what I need you to do. _

_Now, here are August's stats. She has waist length wavy blond hair, brown eyes, is about 5'4", and is of slender build. She can speak both Spanish and English, and is well trained in firearms and hand-to-hand combat. She'll probably be pretty hard to catch, so bring your tranq gun. _

_I'll also need you to buy August a plane ticket to Munich, along with a train ticket to Salzburg. Be careful, Kara. August's a pretty tricky girl to track down. I would do it myself, but my other acquaintance and I have to get out of the country fast. I have to go now. Ciao."_

I continued to stare at the phone even after Roy had hung up, hoping that there was something more, that I could hear June's voice again. "That's it," Kara said gently. "I can't waste any more time if I'm going to get you out of Portugal. So, are you ready?"

"Yes," I managed to say in a choked voice. "Yes, I'm ready."

Fifteen minutes later, I had my head over Kara's kitchen sink as she shampooed my hair. Within these few minutes, Kara had trimmed my split ends, given me green contacts, and applied a special temporary dye to my hair that dyed it a chestnut brown. Now, she was shampooing and conditioning my hair to keep the dye in and chatting about what my new identity was going to be now.

"Your identity is still Madison Clark," she explained. "You are an American foreign exchange student who is about to attend a prestigious boarding school in Austria. Your parents have been dead since you were little, and your guardian didn't know what to do with you anymore, so he's sending you to St. Gilgen International School near Salzburg. It's a perfect cover."

"Yes, it is," I replied hesitantly.

"Hey, it's okay to be nervous," Kara said with a grin. "You've been through a lot these past few days. You have a right to be nervous. In fact, I'd be a complete wreck by now if I was in your shoes."

"I'm not nervous," I disagreed. "Just a little on edge, that's all. I do have to get across Europe in only a few days."

"And that's understandable," Kara responded. "Well, looks like your hair is done. It'll last until you wash it out using this shampoo." She handed me a small shampoo bottle. "Also, we need to give you an identity."

"Didn't you give me my passport already?"

"I mean like a social identity. For example, cheerleader or jock. I think we should make you look pretty kick-butt."

"I agree with that!" I said happily.

Soon, I was dressed in a sort-of school uniform, but with a few of Kara's twists. For instance, my black pleated skirt had silver threads throughout it that made it look worn out and cool. Also, my polo shirt had a bright graphic design and the sleeves were made of a sheer white material. Kara gave me a pair of black Chuck Taylor high-tops that made me smile.

"Now, you're all ready," Kara said as she looked me over. "No one will be able to recognize you now."

"I hope so," I said with a sigh.

"Trust me, August. You'll be fine," Kara replied reassuringly. "We've got to get to the airport, but I've got to give you something first."

"What?" I implored.

"Weapons," Kara responded with a sly grin.

~*O*~

_En route to Lisbon Portela Airport_

I looked down at my newly painted nails and sighed. I never wore nail polish, but Kara had insisted. I was more worried about getting through security, though. My weapons were carefully hidden, but I was still concerned. What if I was caught? How could I possibly explain why I had a gun, poison darts, and a knife hidden on my person and in my suitcase?

"Just so you know, once you enter that airport, you're on your own," Kara said quietly.

"I know," I answered. "I'll be fine. I think I have enough weapons to take down any bad guy who gets in my way."

"I have to agree with that," Kara laughed. "Here's your boarding pass and train ticket. Also, I gave you enough money to bribe anyone if you need to. I think you'll be all right."

I took my tickets from her and tried to appear confident. "Thank you, Kara."

"You're welcome, August. And good luck!" I nodded as the car pulled up to the airport. I got out and gave one final wave to Kara as I grabbed my suitcase from the back seat. After adjusting my carry-on bag, I held my head high and walked into the airport.

Security was a breeze, and soon I was boarding the flight to Munich. I sat in my assigned seat, trying to breathe normally and not peer around suspiciously. Just then, a young teenage girl with blond hair and grey eyes sat beside me. "Hi, I'm Kayla," she said while extending her hand for me to shake. I took it and gave a weak smile.

"Hi, I'm Madison, but you can call me Maddie," I replied.

"Are you traveling alone, too?" Kayla asked.

_What do you think, moron? That my fellow traveling companions are invisible or something? _"Yes, I am traveling alone. I'm going to the St. Gilgen International School in Austria."

"Really? So am I!"

I groaned internally. _Of course, it's just my luck that I'm seated next to a girl that is going to the actual school! _"Um, yeah, I am."

"So, what subject is your specialty?" In only a matter of minutes, Kayla was bombarding me with questions about my previous life, my family, my hobbies, and all sorts of other things. I could hardly keep up with her chattering. Eventually, I silently reached into my bag and pulled out a crossword book and a pen.

"Hey, what's a seven letter word for 'ask'?" I wondered.

"Let me see." While Kayla was looking at the puzzle, I secretly aimed my pen at her cup of coffee and pushed the top of the pen. A clear, tasteless sedative squirted cleanly into the porcelain cup. I smiled and leaned back as Kayla handed me the puzzle. "Well, that's an easy one. It's 'implore'." She reached for her coffee and took a large drink.

"Thank you," I replied while writing the word down. Within seconds, Kayla was passed out beside me, out cold. "Thank you for finally shutting up," I added with a grin.

~*O*~

_Quintana Hotel_

_Lisbon, Portugal_

"What do you mean, she escaped?" Antonio Quintana yelled at his henchmen. "She's a teenage girl!"

"She's a very smart teenage girl," one of the men said sheepishly. "And she had help."

"Who helped her?" Antonio said angrily.

"Some British woman. We don't know who she is."

"August Havens can't make it to Salzburg," Antonio said firmly. "Eduardo! Get in here!"

Eduardo quickly ran into Antonio's office. "Yes, boss?"

"I need you to call a couple of our friends. Ask for Kurt and Bernhard. Send Kurt after August Havens and Bernhard after the Zephyr and also have him kill Miller and June Havens. I want Simon Feck alive, though. Tell them to use…well whatever it takes."

"Of course, Antonio," Eduardo agreed. "I also have information about August."

"What is it?"

"She is traveling under the alias of Madison Clark and has changed her appearance slightly. Our cameras at the airport picked her up." He handed Antonio a photo of August's new look. "Do you want Kurt to follow her?"

"Yes, but no harm is to come to her until she gets on the train to Salzburg. I want Miller to feel like he could've saved her before he dies."

"Of course, I'll go call them now." Eduardo left to call the German assassins. Antonio sat at his desk and smiled. Roy, June, and August would be dead by the end of the day. Then, no one could stop him from getting the Zephyr or the young genius who created it. It was a perfect plan.

_**Oh, no! There are assassins heading after Roy, August, and June! Whatever will they do? Well, I will tell you one thing. August will reunite with Roy and June in the next chapter! :) What else will happen? You'll have to keep reading and reviewing to find out! **_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I stepped off the plane in Munich, glad that I had made it without being killed. According to my train ticket, I only had an hour to make it to my train. I ran out of the terminal and got into a taxi. "Munich Central Station, please," I told the driver, who luckily spoke English. He drove into the city, allowing me to just relax and think. Roy and June were supposed to be on the train I was getting on. So, once I boarded it, I needed to find them as soon as possible so I could warn them.

I wasn't sure what Antonio planned to do with his knowledge of Roy and June's location, but I knew it wasn't good. Most likely, we'd all get killed or something horrible like that. _Come on, drive faster! _I yelled at the taxi driver.

"We're here, miss," the driver said as he pulled up to the station.

"Thank you!" I replied while handing him my fare and a good sized tip.

"You're very welcome," he answered as he smiled at my tip. I took my bags and hurried into the station. As I waited to board, I glanced around for any tails or suspicious figures. I couldn't see any, but it didn't help calm my fears. _Great, I'm helpless without Roy and June. Some agent I'd be. _My thoughts were interrupted by the intercom announcing that my train was boarding.

I entered the train as inconspicuously as possible. "Ticket, miss?" the conductor asked.

"Here you go," I said while handing him it.

The conductor punched my ticket and gave it back, along with a key. "Compartment 7C, Miss Clark," he said with a smile.

"Thank you," I replied as I walked towards the sleeping compartments. Soon, I found 7C and went inside. My mouth dropped open as I entered. Like the rest of the train, it was furnished in a lovely turn of the century style. A large window took up most of the far wall, providing a gorgeous view of the Alps. A comfy sofa was pushed up against the window. A twin bed was along the wall closest to the door, complete with a small nightstand. A simple bathroom and closet took up the rest of the room.

I placed my suitcase on the sofa and began rooting for my weapons. The first to appear was my pistol, which was hidden inside a hairdryer. I broke open the hairdryer and took the pistol out, putting it safely in my waistband. Next, I found my spare bottle of shampoo and felt around in it, finally coming up with a throwing knife. After wiping it off, I slid it inside my boot. My ammo was inside a half filled bottle of lotion and I managed to clean all the bullets off, loading my gun with them.

I was about to go looking for Roy and June when I heard a knock. "Room service!" a voice called. _Room service? I didn't order any room service!_

"Um…I didn't order any room service. You must have the wrong room." I replied while keeping a firm grip on my pistol. _Something isn't right…_

"Complementary, Miss Clark." I cautiously walked over to the door and turned the knob, prepared for anything. I gasped when I opened the door to find a gun barrel pointed at my face. The face staring coldly at me was a man with coal black hair and dark, angry brown eyes. I opened my mouth to scream, but the man covered my mouth and began to drag me down the hallway. I struggled in his grasp and tried desperately to reach my pistol. My captor caught what I was doing and immediately disarmed me. "Now, Miss Havens, if you don't want any innocent people getting hurt, I would suggest that you act as if nothing is wrong." I nodded and stood up straight, trying to ignore the fact that there was a gun pressed against my back.

"Let me guess," I said. "You're an assassin, sent here to kill me, Roy, and June and retrieve Simon and the Zephyr. You're probably very high up in quality if Antonio sent for you, and you are going to make it look like I died accidentally."

"Smart girl," the assassin replied with a laugh. "But, I've only been sent to kill you. You see, Antonio doesn't like to leave witnesses who can snitch on him. Even if they are pretty girls like you." He laughed evilly, causing all the blood to drain out of my face.

_So, this is how it ends, _I thought. _Killed by an assassin at fifteen. How sad, really._

We reached the back platform and the assassin pushed me roughly against the railing. I grunted in pain as my hip hit the metal railing hard. "Such a pity, really," my killer said. "A beautiful young girl slips on the ice on the back platform and falls off into a ravine. They'll never be able to recover her body, either." He began to approach me and I closed my eyes in silence, preparing for the end.

"No," I whispered as frozen tears slid down my face. "Please, I haven't done anything wrong."

"Not all people die because of what they have done, Miss Havens. Sometimes, bad things just happen!" He reached to throw me over the railing, but I grabbed my knife and stabbed him in the shoulder. As he retreated back, swearing at me the whole time, I scurried up a ladder leading to the roof since the assassin was blocking the way to the rest of the train. As soon as I reached the top, I ran for my life, attempting to not fall off myself.

_Come on, come on, run! _my thoughts yelled. _You have to warn Roy and June!_ A bullet landed beside me, making me run faster. More shots were fired, and I flattened myself onto the snow-covered roof (It was amazing that there could still be snow in July!), ignoring the stinging of the snow on my face.

"Give up, August," the assassin said. "In fact, why don't you just jump off the roof? Sure makes my job a lot easier."

I got up and continued to run, leaping over the gaps separating the train cars. Then, my boot got caught on the edge of one of the cars and I fell, barely managing to keep from slipping. I heard the click of a pistol and looked up, gasping when I saw the assassin standing in front of me with a gun pointed at my heart. "End of the line, Miss Havens."

I looked behind me and smiled. "No, end of the line for you." I quickly laid down right as the train went through a tunnel. The assassin hit the tunnel and flew off the train, flying towards the very ravine he had threatened to throw me into. "Oh, thank God," I managed to say while trying to catch my breath. "I'm still alive." The train exited the tunnel and I sat up, breathing in the frigid mountain air. _Was that the only assassin? Or is there more coming to kill Roy and June? _

I climbed down onto a platform connecting two cars and leaned my chin onto my arms. _I killed someone. I actually killed someone. _I could still hear the man screaming as he fell off the train. I had shot and tranqed people before, but this time I had let a man hit a tunnel, knowing he would probably die from my actions. _But, it was only self-defense. He was going to kill me. _

Just then, I heard a faint scream from the next car. My head shot up. I knew that scream. "June!" I cried. I threw open the door and rushed into what happened to be the dining car. I frantically looked around, searching for my cousin.

"Would you like some breakfast, miss?" a waiter asked me.

"Um, no, but thanks," I answered. "Listen, have you seen a blond American woman come through here, probably very frazzled and running for her life?"

"Yes, she went towards the kitchen…"

"Thank you, bye!" I hurried to the kitchen doors, ignoring the waiter yelling that passengers weren't allowed inside. As soon as I entered, I saw a cook lying on the floor, a knife stuck in his back. I covered my mouth and looked up to see June cornered, pure fear in her eyes. A man was standing menacingly in front of her, a deadly knife in his hand. She glanced up and froze as she saw me.

"August?" she said. "August, is that you?" I nodded.

"Yes, it's me, June."

The man turned his attention to me. "Looks like Kurt didn't do his job right. He left you still alive."

I glared at the assassin. "I'm a lot harder to kill than you think."

He smiled and looked me over, causing me to give him an even worse glare. "I liked you better as a blonde."

I rolled my eyes. _What is it with bad guys calling me pretty?_ "Well, you know what they say," I said with a sly smile. "Blondes may have more fun…" I then punched him right in the jaw. "But brunettes remember it the next day!" The assassin held his jaw, staring at me like I was nuts. "That was for underestimating me." I explained coldly.

"August, did you just punch someone?" June implored with surprise. I had forgotten that she had never really seen me fight somebody besides her or Ben.

"Yes, I did," I replied with pride. Just then, our enemy grabbed me and held a knife to my neck, slowly applying pressure with a practiced hand.

"Now, like I said before, Antonio Quintana wants to know…" He applied more pressure, causing me to gasp in pain. "Where is the battery?" June just stared at me, not sure what to do.

"We don't know where it is," I choked out. "I haven't seen the darn thing since Brooklyn."

"Don't test me, June," the assassin said to my cousin. "I can easily kill this girl in the blink of an eye."

There was a noise behind us and we spun around to see a nerdy looking boy staring down at the dead cook with a freaked out look. He glanced up at us and started to back out of the room. "Uh, I'm sorry…I'm looking for ice." He tried to walk out, but Roy came up behind him and pushed him back inside.

"Roy!" I cried, struggling in the assassin's grasp.

"Roy…" the nerdy guy said, still trying to leave.

"Bernhard," Roy acknowledged the assassin.

"Miller," Bernhard said coldly.

"Wrong room," Roy's companion put in.

"It's okay, it's okay," Roy told the guy while continuing into the kitchen. "Now Bernhard, why don't you let August go? This is our problem, not hers."

"You know him?" June asked.

"No June, he just made up a name for him! What do you think?" I yelled. I didn't mean to yell, but some guy was trying to slit my throat, after all!

"Yeah, I do," Roy answered. "He's an assassin, platinum grade. He's come to collect Simon." (Oh, that was who that kid was!)

"Oh my gosh!" Simon exclaimed while backing against a counter.

"And to kill you," Bernhard said. "And the two ladies, since Kurt didn't do his job."

"That's Simon?" June asked, pointing to him.

"Yeah," Roy said. "June, Simon. Simon, June. That's August with a knife to her neck."

"Hi," I greeted sheepishly. "I don't always look like this. I'm usually blonde." I took that moment to do Roy's "hands like Houdini" trick and duck as Roy ran at Bernhard. June helped me up and we watched as the two men fought in the tiny car. Bernhard got the upper hand at once and threw Roy in a pile of dishes. June gasped and I felt concerned and got ready to throw myself at the assassin, but Roy caught his breath.

"Geez! I'm okay. I got this." Bernhard practically picked up Roy and threw him at the counter that Simon was standing by. Luckily, Simon moved out of the way in time. Bernhard grabbed Roy by his jacket and was about to throw him again. "Simon, please move," Roy ordered. Simon quickly leaped out of the way again, this time crashing into me.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay," I said. There was a crash, and we looked over to see that Roy had landed on top of the counter and wasn't moving. "Oh, gosh," I whispered. June was horrified over in the corner while Simon put his hands up.

"I surrender!" he yelled.

"Oh no, you're not!" I cried while pushing him back. I punched Bernhard in the jaw again, wiping that stupid grin off his face. When he was about to attack me, June tried to punch him, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into his grasp.

"You have quite some balls, Fraulein," Bernhard laughed.

"June! Hands like Houdini!" I screamed while looking for some form of weapon. I had just found a knife when I heard Simon cry out. I looked to see if he was hurt and I saw that Bernhard had let June go, but he had a kitchen knife buried in his shoulder. "Holy cow! June, did you just stab him?" I implored in shock.

June hadn't heard me. "I'm so sorry," she said to the very ticked off assassin. "But, you were trying to kill me." Bernhard continued to stare very angrily at her and then did the nastiest thing I'd ever seen. He grabbed the knife by the handle and slowly pulled it out of his shoulder.

"I don't think I'm going to use knives anymore," I said weakly, trying not to look at the bloody knife.

"That's disgusting," June whispered. Then, Bernhard ran at her with the knife, causing her to scream and duck. But, Roy came between them and pushed him away from June. I got up from where I'd been sitting by Simon and kicked Bernhard in the stomach.

"Never ever threaten my cousin!" I exclaimed as I punched him in the chest. "You jerk!" Roy pulled me out of the way.

"Stay over there, August." I obeyed and watched as Roy kicked Bernhard really hard and the assassin broke the large glass window, but didn't fall, staying up by holding onto a string of sausages.

"Oh my gosh," Simon said from on the floor. "Just die!"

Another train flew by us and took Bernhard with it. My eyes grew wide and I covered my mouth while June shut her eyes and buried her face in Roy's shoulder. Simon quietly swore under his breath. "Well, it's over," I managed to say with relief. Roy sighed and slid down next to Simon.

"I've got to get you guys someplace safe," he said quietly.

~*O*~

We ended up going to Roy and June's train compartment to figure out what to do. "So, what in the world are we going to do now?" I asked. "If those assassins found us, then Fitz must surely be on his way, too."

"I just don't understand how he found us…wait, assassins?" Roy looked at me strangely. "You mean that there were more?"

"Yes," I admitted. "And it's all my fault that they found us. You see…I told Antonio that we were heading to Salzburg." Roy and June stared at me like I was crazy.

"You told him where we were." Roy didn't seem convinced.

"I was drugged," I quickly explained. "I couldn't stop myself. It took all that I had to keep my emotions in check so I could escape and warn you guys. Even though I wasn't able to do that, either." I looked down at my hands, ashamed.

"Oh, August," June said exasperatingly.

"So, you actually managed to get across Europe and defeat an assassin…using entirely your own resources?" Roy sounded impressed.

"Yeah, I guess I did. Although your friend Kara helped me get out of Portugal and gave me a new look." I fingered my brunette hair. "And I didn't really take out the assassin. A tunnel came at a very convenient time."

"That's still very impressive," Roy replied with a smile.

"Thanks," I answered while blushing.

"Sorry to interrupt," Simon put in. "But, how are we going to get out of here? The station in Salzburg will surely be swarming with agents."

Roy looked out the window and I could see that he was deep in thought. After a moment, he spoke. "We're going to jump," he said calmly. "We're going to jump."

For a few seconds, June, Simon, and I just stared at him like he was from the loony bin. Then, all chaos broke loose. "Are you crazy?" June exclaimed. "We could die!"

"We'll get sucked under the wheels and killed!" I agreed.

"I have to agree with the girls on this one, Roy," Simon said. "There's a limited chance of survival if we jump off the train."

"Well, do you want to get captured again, Simon? I already saved your sorry rear end once! And I am not going to do it again!" The three of us shamefully glanced at the floor, a little shocked by Roy's tongue lashing. I sighed quietly. _Roy may be insane, but this is probably our only option._

"How sure are you in the fact that we won't die?" I asked wearily.

"Very sure," Roy replied.

"August, you're just going along with him?" June implored worriedly.

"Of course," I said firmly. "I trust him."

"All right," Roy said, taking charge. "Simon, don't worry about packing. Just grab whatever you can shove in your pockets. August, go get any weapons and ammo that Kara gave you. We might need them. June, take my phone," He tossed her his iPhone. "And make hotel reservations. Three rooms, if you please. Choose something fancy. Here's a card." He threw her a debit card. June caught both and got to work.

I left the room and went down the hallway towards my compartment. Once I got inside, I hurried to my suitcase, searching for whatever weapons were left. The first one I found was a pair of decorative chopsticks that contained a deadly poison. I put my hair up in a messy bun and carefully put the chopsticks in, taking care to make sure that the protective covers were on the ends of them. Next, I gathered up the remainder of my ammo and placed the bullets safely in my bag. I discovered my sedative pen along with another throwing knife (hidden inside the conditioner bottle) and put them in the bag as well. Finally, I put on my coat and walked to Roy and June's room.

I went into the room without knocking and June jumped when she saw me. "My word, August! Can you knock first?"

"Sorry," I apologized. "Where's Simon and Roy?"

"Simon went to pack, and Roy went with him just in case." She sighed and put down Roy's phone. "August, what have I gotten you into? I mean, we were all almost killed today, and you've been on your own for 24 hours. I thought you were dead, but Roy said that you were strong enough to survive. I can see that you are now, but it was still frightening, you know?"

"I know," I replied. "But, you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. And, if you hadn't gotten me into this, we probably would have been dead by now, anyway. Don't you remember them telling us that we were 'safe' with them?"

"Yeah," June said quietly. "I know that they were lying now. But now, Antonio Quintana is after us along with Fitz. How are we going to stay safe?"

I smiled. "We're going to have to trust Roy."

June gave me a wry grin. "You just better promise me that you're not going to do something stupid that end in you getting killed."

"I can't promise that," I said truthfully. Just then, Simon and Roy came inside.

"Is everything ready?" Roy asked.

"Yes," June answered. "I got three rooms at the Hotel Bristol. I figured that August and I could share, and you and Simon could each get your own room. Here's your stuff back." She gave him the debit card and phone.

"Perfect," Roy said. "Now let's go." The four of us snuck down the hallway to the platform to the next car. My heart started to pound as I watched the scenery speed by us.

"Are you sure that this is such a good idea?" I implored.

"Positive!" Roy called back. "Okay August, you and Simon are going to go first. June and I will be right behind you. Just remember to jump far enough out and tuck and roll, all right?"

Simon and I nodded. I released my iron grip on the railing and took a deep breath. _Oh Lord, I'm going to die, _I thought.

"Are you okay?" Simon asked.

"Yeah," I replied nervously. "Just a little nervous about jumping off a speeding train."

"Here, take my hand." I took his hand that he was holding out. "I'll count to three."

"All right," I said.

"One…two…three!" We leapt over the railing, flinging ourselves as far away from the tracks as possible. I hit the snow-covered ground first, grunting with pain as I landed hard. Simon came down a little further away from me, rolling into a bush. I got up, brushing as much of the cold snow as I could, and walked over to help him. The ground was steep and icy, and before I knew it, I slipped and fell right on my rear end. Simon started to laugh at me.

"It's not funny!" I yelled as I rubbed my probably bruised tailbone.

"It was just your face! You should have seen it!" I grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down his jacket.

"Just to let you know, I was actually coming to help you, jerk," I said with a laugh as Simon attempted to get all the snow out of his jacket.

We got up and found Roy and June, who were ahead of us since they had jumped off later. "What now, Roy?" I asked as Simon and I approached him.

"Well, we have about a two hour hike ahead of us." The three of us groaned, but started walking anyway. We didn't talk much, mostly because of the cold and the energy it took to walk through foot high snowdrifts. By the time fifteen minutes were up, my jeans were completely soaked and my boots were filled with snow. I didn't complain though, and kept going.

Soon, the snow melted away and was replaced with mud. It grew warm enough that we didn't even need our coats anymore. I stayed beside Roy, which was difficult since one of his steps took three of mine. But, I'd rather be near him if we were ambushed and a fight broke out.

The city of Salzburg came into view after two grueling hours. Sure enough, there were many ominous black SUV's parked outside the train station. "You guys go on ahead to the hotel," Roy said. "I'll catch up later."

"What are you up to?" I implored with my arms crossed.

"It's nothing, August."

"If it's nothing, why can't we be involved?"

"August…" June warned.

"I'm just wondering what he so desperately needs to do that is 'nothing'."

"All right, fine!" Roy exclaimed. "I just need to see what Fitz is up to. Most likely, he's at the train station. August, I guess you can come, too."

"Sounds good to me," I replied with a smile. "Here, June," I took out the chopsticks and handed them to her. "Just in case," I explained.

"What are they?" she asked.

"If you take off the covers and stab someone with them, the poison inside will kill them in minutes."

"How did you get these?" June cried while holding them as far as she could.

"You don't want to know," I answered.

"Come on, August, if you want to come, we need to go now!" Roy ordered.

"Okay!" I said while placing my last knife safely in my waistband. June and Simon went to hail a cab while Roy and I strolled quietly into the station. We headed towards the tracks where the trains awaited future passengers. Sure enough, our train was sitting there, men in dark suits going in and out of it like ants. For a few minutes, we just stood there, observing the scene. "What are we doing?" I finally wondered aloud.

"Just wait," Roy responded.

~*O*~

Agent Fitzgerald sat inside Roy Miller and June Havens' compartment, trying to figure out where the fugitives might be. According to security cameras, Simon Feck had boarded in Augsburg, Germany and had been traveling on the train until the Alps, when he had completely vanished from surveillance. Roy and June had boarded in Nuremburg and vanished in the same area. Finally, August Havens got on in Munich and disappeared in the Alps as well, but not before she was seen heading towards the back platform led by an unknown man. For all Fitz knew, they could be dead.

"They're not on the train," Agent Robert Falls (fondly called 'Bob' by August) said as he came into the room.

"Oh, really?" Fitz asked sarcastically.

"Cameras at the last station show nothing," Bob continued. "They must have gotten off between stops. Locals haven't found anything." Fitz sat for a moment in thought before glancing over to the window looking out at the station. He noticed a small smudge and softly breathed on it. It was a circle. Curious, he peered through it and was shocked.

There, standing in the crowds of people, were Roy and August. While Roy just stood like a statue, staring Fitz down, August actually smiled and waved at him before blowing a kiss. And then, just like that, they were gone, vanished without a trace.

Fitz shook his head. "Always the classics, Roy."

_**End of chapter 10! Wow, so August is finally back with Roy and June, and she met Simon! What will happen now that they're in Salzburg? I will tell you that what you think you know about Salzburg will be completely changed. First off, it is much longer. Second, it will involve August jumping off a balcony! But like I said, basic plot, but with some added twists! I hope you enjoyed this, guys! Keep reading and reviewing, please!**_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_Salzburg, Austria_

After pulling our little joke on Fitz, Roy and I left the train station and hailed a cab to the hotel June had picked out. Let me just say, that hotel was definitely fancy. As soon I entered my and June's room, I almost started jumping up and down with glee. First off, it had a balcony overlooking the city, something that I'd always wanted since I read _Romeo and Juliet._ Second, the room was very luxurious.

There was a large seating area to the left of the suite that held four very comfy looking chairs and a couch. Across from the chairs was one queen-sized bed, which I figured June would claim. I was fine with sleeping on the couch, though. A cabinet holding champagne glasses and other breakable items separated the room into two. The last piece of furniture was a small table by the door leading to the balcony.

"June?" I called. "June, I'm back! I'm not dead, so you don't have to freak out!" I noticed a piece of paper set on the table and went to look at it. Picking it up, I recognized June's familiar handwriting.

_August,_

_I'll be back soon. The hotel messed up a couple of things, so I'm going down to the front desk to straighten them out. If Roy asks, tell him where I'm at. Thanks!_

_June_

I put the paper back down and decided to use this time to become a blonde again. My bag had a spare change of clothes and the special shampoo, so I hopped in the shower and came out a few minutes later, my hair the same honey color it had been before. I pulled on a khaki green button up shirt along with a pair of jeans and put my hair up into a ponytail. Feeling bored, I walked over onto the balcony. My mouth dropped open as I came outside.

The view was breathtaking. Not only was the city of Salzburg beautiful, but the snow-covered Alps that towered over the city were as well. I couldn't keep from smiling; it was just that lovely. I also couldn't help but thinking of _The Sound of Music,_ especially since I was in the same town where the movie was filmed.

"The hills are alive with the sound of music…" I sang softly.

"That was good," a voice said from behind me. I jumped and turned around to see Roy standing on the balcony in his hotel room.

"Oh my gosh, Roy! You scared me half to death!" I cried.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't know that you could sing."

"I'm in show choir, remember?" I laughed. "I probably need to be able to sing to be in it!"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot."

I smiled. "It's okay."

"But, you were really good. I thought you were watching the movie for a second."

"Oh, Roy," I said. "You're just trying to make me sound better than I am." I remembered June's note. "I bet you're looking for June, right?"

"No, of course not." He sighed. "How did you know?"

"I'm a girl," I replied with a grin. "I have woman's intuition."

"Well, I am looking for June. Where is she?"

"Down in the lobby fixing some things that the hotel messed up," I answered. "You like her, don't you?" I blurted without thinking. _Smooth move, August._

Roy grew red and I cast my eyes downward for a moment, feeling like an idiot. "August, you know that I can't tell you that. It would just compromise our situation."

I became bold and decided to take a risk. "But, that's not true. You do like her, but you're too scared to admit it." I knew that would get under his skin.

"I'm not scared," Roy retorted. "I can't tell you or her how I feel because it would just make everything awkward and complicated."

"Roy, you do like her. I see the way you look at her, and how you always try to make her laugh. I don't know what happened when I wasn't there, but I do know that you like her. If you didn't, why are we still here?"

Roy looked at me, very confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"If you didn't have some feelings towards my cousin, what kept you from killing us on that flight? Huh? Why aren't we in a grave somewhere instead of in Salzburg with you?"

"I never wanted you involved in the first place, if that's what you're asking!"

"Well, if you never wanted us involved, you should've killed us with all those other assassins, Roy! You should've killed us and been done with all of this! But, no, you didn't." I smiled. "You didn't because you like June. And me, in a way."

I could tell that Roy was torn between what he'd been taught as a spy and how he actually felt. "August…I guess I do like June. But, I can't admit that to her."

"Yes, you can," I argued. "You aren't a spy anymore, so you don't have to worry about that. And, if you are going to leave eventually, at least June will know the truth so she won't bug me about it for the rest of my life."

My companion ran his fingers through his hair and gave me a wry smile. "You are very persuasive."

"Thanks. I get it from my mother." I looked out over the city, admiring the view. "Roy, why are we in Salzburg? Antonio knows that this was our destination and Fitz has probably figured out we're here, too. Why don't we go somewhere else?"

"I actually have to do something here, if you can believe it. I have a friend who's with the agency-sort of like Kara, actually. She'll be able to help me figure out how to keep the Zephyr safe. I'm meeting her tomorrow night at a gala across town."

"You mean us," I corrected.

"What do you mean by 'us'? You're not coming."

"Of course I am. If you're going to meet someone associated with the same agency as Fitz, you might need backup. Besides," I stared him right in the eye. "Would you rather me know the plan or follow you to your destination and mess up the whole operation?"

"You wouldn't."

"Try me." For a moment, we were locked in a staring contest, trying to see who would back down first. I refused to move. If he was going to risk his life doing something stupid, the least I could do was to help him out. Finally, Roy wore down.

"All right, August. But only because I'd rather you know what was going on than messing it up. And, you are not going to talk to Naomi at all. I don't even want to know that you're there. Got it?"

"Got it," I agreed. "You said that it's a gala, though?"

"Yes," Roy replied. "Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not," I answered. "I was just thinking that it would be a romantic place for you to tell June how you feel."

"No," Roy disagreed. "Not there."

"Roy, are you seriously thinking about leaving Simon and June _alone_ in the hotel? Who knows what could happen without both of us there? Why don't we just bring them along?"

"Why don't I just leave you at the hotel to protect them?"

"Enough said," I put in quickly. "But, I don't have a dress."

"Well, that's not a problem." He handed over the debit card that apparently had a never ending flow of cash. "You can go shopping with this. Get something nice since it's a pretty fancy party. But don't go without me. Or if you decide to go, take those poison chopsticks with you. But don't leave the room for any other reason. Okay?"

"Sounds good." Just then, Roy's phone began to ring. "I'll see you later, then." Roy gave me a wave as he answered the call. He went back into his room and I continued to stare at Salzburg. _Should I go get a dress now? Or wait for a bit? _I saw a tour bus loaded with tourists pass by our hotel. _Or maybe I should have a little fun…_

~*O*~

I ended up deciding to explore Salzburg, even though I knew Roy would be against it. But, he wouldn't know about it. June had come back to our room, but was currently asleep because she was exhausted. I quietly snuck onto the balcony and leaned over on the other side where Simon's room was.

"Psst! Simon!" I hissed. No answer. Silently, I swung a leg over the railing and pulled myself over onto Simon's balcony. "Simon?" I called. Just then, the nerdy boy walked out of the bathroom. He jumped a foot when he saw me standing there.

"August! What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

I smiled. "I just decided to drop in and see if you wanted to get out of here for a while."

"But Roy said…"

"It's all right, I promise. Besides, I'll be armed." I pulled up my pants leg to reveal the holster of knives secured to my ankle. Simon's eyes grew large.

"What's your plan, then?" he asked.

"That is a surprise," I said. "But, it involves getting out of this hotel. Come on!" After we got outside, I followed the directions I had printed on the hotel computer and finally ended up at the Mirabellplatz bus terminal.

"What are we doing here, August?" Simon asked nervously.

"You'll see," I replied with a grin. _This guy needs to loosen up. _"You have seen _The Sound of Music,_ right? Otherwise, your childhood was greatly deprived."

"Yeah," Simon said. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

I pointed to the brightly colored tour bus pulling into the stop. "Surprise!" I said.

Yes, I had arranged for me and Simon to take a "Sound of Music" tour. It was the least expensive thing I could find and I figured it would be pretty safe. As soon as we boarded the bus, music from the movie began to play over the speakers.

"This is going to be stuck in my head all day," Simon joked.

"I have to agree," I laughed.

The tour was great. The first stop was at Mirabell Gardens, where Maria and the children danced around during "Do-Re-Mi." I couldn't help but dance around a little, too. Simon laughed at my antics and took a picture when I wasn't looking. As we traveled from stop to stop, Simon seemed to relax bit by bit. The final location was the chapel where Maria and Captain von Trapp were married in 1927.

As soon as our group entered the chapel, I felt like I was actually in the movie, walking down the aisle to my true love. I quickly shook the thought away. _What are you doing? You have to keep an eye on Simon! _I looked over at Simon, who was snapping pictures. He hadn't even noticed that I had been daydreaming.

"Hey," I said. Simon looked up.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I think our group's leaving. Besides, Roy is probably tearing the hotel apart looking for us by now."

"You're probably right." We got back on the tour bus and headed back to our hotel. Luckily, Roy wasn't patrolling the place looking for us and I could slip into my and June's room easily. As soon as I came in, June jumped up from the chair she was sitting in.

"August! Where have you been?" she cried.

"Umm…" I reached for the ice bucket sitting by the door. "Just getting ice," I lied.

"No, you weren't," June said, clearly not buying it. She narrowed her eyes. "Where were you?"

"All right, I'll admit it. I was walking around the hotel making sure that there weren't any feds or arms dealers around. Okay?" I hoped that she would believe me.

"You were?" June asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," I replied. I was hoping that my lying skills were working.

"Well, I guess that's understandable," June said. I couldn't believe it. She actually bought it! "I've been looking over my shoulder today, too." She smiled. "But guess what happened while you were out?"

"What?" I asked.

"Roy came and talked to me. He asked me if I wanted to go on the mission to that gala tomorrow! And, Simon is going to go too…"

This really surprised me. Roy had seemed pretty adamant a couple hours ago about not letting Simon and June attend the gala. "That's great, June! I guess we're going to have to go shopping tomorrow."

"Yes, we are," June said happily. "Roy just went to get Simon so they could rent him a tux."

At that point, I was very happy that we had gotten back to the hotel in time. And I have to admit that I was kind of looking forward to seeing Simon in a tuxedo.

June and I spent the remainder of the afternoon in the hotel room. Around six, there was a knock on the door and I went to answer it, grabbing my gun first. "August! Don't get your gun!" June scolded.

"The last time I opened a door, there was a gun barrel in my face," I replied coldly. "I'd much rather have a fighting chance." June shut her mouth. Luckily, it was just Simon and Roy with dinner.

"Did somebody order room service?" Roy asked.

We sat down at the table and began to eat. After a few minutes, Roy cleared his throat. "I got us all tickets for the gala," he said. "And I figured out our covers."

"What are they?" June implored.

"Well, you and I are married. We already have the rings." June seemed to accept this. At least she wasn't throwing the ring at his head or anything. "August, you and Simon are going to pose as boyfriend and girlfriend so you can make sure he doesn't get kidnapped during the mission. Also, our covers were breached while we were on the train, so we all have new identities. June, we are still Rodney and Julia, but our last name is Walker. August, you are now Sarah Adams, and Simon is Daniel Fowler. Got it?"

"Got it," I said seriously. "Should I bring any weapons?"

"No, we should be fine. Now, when we are at the gala, I will approach Naomi. None of you are to get near her, not even you, June. I will get the drop-off point for the Zephyr and then we'll leave. After that, I'll figure out a new safe house for Simon and get the two of you home for April's wedding."

"That sounds good," I answered. "But, where will you go?"

"I honestly can't tell you," Roy replied. "I don't want my location found out if you girls are interrogated."

"Okay," I said. "That makes sense."

"So, June, you and August are getting your dresses tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," June responded. "We'll go as soon as we eat breakfast."

"Great. We'll meet up here at five o' clock sharp tomorrow evening." After finishing their meal, Simon and Roy left for their rooms, leaving June and I alone.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" June asked.

"Yes," I answered. "Are you?"

"Of course," she replied. "We'd better get to sleep, though. Tomorrow will be a busy day."

"Okay. Goodnight, June."

"Good night."

~*O*~

The next morning, I was rudely awakened from my fitful sleep on the rock-hard couch by June shaking me. "What is wrong with you?" I moaned. "Let me sleep!"

"Don't argue with me, August. We have to go get our dresses!" I had no idea how my cousin could have so much energy at this ungodly hour.

"All right, all right, I'm coming!"

After taking a quick shower and putting my wrinkled outfit from last night on, June and I left the hotel (me with my gun tucked into my bag-you can never be too careful) and headed to the nearest boutique. The boutique that we ended up choosing had many gorgeous gowns. As soon as we walked inside, we were accosted by two female employees.

"_Guten Morgan," _one of the women said.

"I'm sorry, but do you speak English?" June asked.

"Oh yes, I apologize," the employee answered. "I'm Anneliese, and this is Erika. What can we do for you ladies?"

"We need two dresses appropriate for a gala tonight," I said. "Can you help us?"

"Of course!" Anneliese answered. "I can take one of you, and Erika can take the other. How about you come with me?" she suggested to me.

"All right. I'm Sarah, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Sarah. Now, let's make you gorgeous."

I was brought into a dressing room and Anneliese started bringing me numerous gowns to try on. Nothing really fit, though. They weren't _me._ A lot of them were too tight and I couldn't hide a gun on my leg without it bulging (I was still bringing a gun whether Roy liked it or not). Others had really big slits in them that also could reveal my gun. I was getting frustrated and so was Anneliese. "I just don't know what I want," I finally admitted.

"Well, you don't want anything too tight or with a slit. What about a ball gown?"

"Okay, I guess I'll try one."

Anneliese left the dressing room and I heard June gasp. "Sarah, come here for a minute!" I put on a robe and walked out to find June standing in front of a mirror. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a blue-violet taffeta ball gown that had straps on the bodice and lovely beading all over the full skirt.

"Oh, Julia," I said. "You look beautiful."

"I think this is the one. Should I say yes?"

"Of course! I bet Roy will love it, too."

June blushed. "Oh, just shut up. Have you found anything?"

"No," I sighed. "Anneliese is determined to find me something, though."

"Well, that's good. I'm going to look around. Call me if you're going to say yes."

"Okay." I went back to my dressing room to wait for Anneliese to return. Soon, she did, carrying a large garment bag.

"All right, I want you to close your eyes."

"Why?"

"I already know that you're going to love this dress, so I want you to be surprised."

"I hope that I won't disappoint you, then." I closed my eyes and heard her unzipping the bag and the rustling of the dress fabric. Then, I felt the fabric against my legs as she pulled the dress up and zipped it up.

"Okay Sarah, open your eyes." I did and was shocked. I was wearing a gorgeous strapless teal ball gown with rhinestones accenting the tight bodice. The skirt was full and covered with ruffles that made it even more beautiful.

"Oh my gosh…I love it," I whispered as I tried to resist the urge to squeal and do a little happy dance.

"And you look beautiful in it," Anneliese agreed. "Here, let's show your friend." I walked out of the dressing room and I swear June about had a heart attack.

"Sarah! You look stunning!" June cried.

I blushed. "Thanks."

"Look what I found." June pulled out a pair of silver chandelier earrings and held them up by my ears. "Perfect."

"And the dress fits you perfectly," Anneliese put in. "I don't even think we need to hem it if you get the right height of heel."

"I agree," June said. "Do you sell heels here?"

"Yes, we have a lovely display over here."

"Nothing too tall, Julia," I ordered. "I don't want to trip in this thing."

"We'll see," June laughed. She walked away with the salesgirl to find some shoes while I waited in front of the mirror. I sort of stared at myself. I actually looked pretty for once in my life. I lifted the skirt and spun around, laughing as the dress flew with me. _It's perfect._

Just then, June came back triumphantly holding a pair of heels. "Let's try these, Sarah," she suggested. I obediently lifted my hem so she could slide the shoes on. They were silver with rhinestone accents on the toe and fit just right. Plus, the heel wasn't that tall.

"I like them," I said.

"Good. We'll take them," June replied.

We paid for our purchases (I winced when I saw the receipt.) and left the store. June made us stop at a drugstore so she could buy a curling iron and some makeup before we finally headed back to our hotel. Once we were in our room, June spread out the things we needed before getting to work. "Come here August, I'm going to curl your hair."

I reluctantly sat down in a chair in front of her and let her work. After curling all of my long hair, June pulled it into an elaborate updo. I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and was stunned at how different I looked. "Well, I can't wait to see Simon's face when he sees you," June joked.

"Oh, June," I said. "We don't like one another like that."

"Okay, if you say so…" June helped me into my dress and I did the same for her. "August, I forgot…can you get a little black bag out of my purse, please?"

"Sure." I walked over to the purse and lifted the bag out and handed it to her. She opened it and pulled out a black box.

"Open it," she said as she gave it to me. I did and gasped when I saw what was inside.

"Where did you get this?" I whispered as I took the silver locket out of its box. I covered my mouth as I stared at the necklace. No, I wasn't getting all emotional over some store-bought trinket. This locket was special. It had belonged to my mother, and had been passed down to the oldest daughter for generations. I was supposed to receive it on my sixteenth birthday, but the accident had occurred and I figured that the locket had been lost in the wreckage. Now, I was holding it in my hand.

"Your mother was wearing it the night of the accident," June explained gently. "I received their belongings at the hospital and this was among them. I wanted to keep the tradition going, so I decided to wait until you were sixteen. But, I chose to surprise you tonight instead."

I smiled. "Thanks, June." June took the locket from my hand and put it around my neck. The oval-shaped pendant fit perfectly in the dent between my collarbones.

"I put new pictures inside of it," June said. "That way you can keep everyone you love close to you, no matter where you go." I opened it and found my parents' wedding photo on the left and a picture of April, June, and Ben on the right.

"Too bad we can't put a picture of Roy in there," I laughed.

"Yeah I know," June agreed. Just then, there was a knock on our door. I quickly grabbed my gun and held it at ready. "Seriously, August, are you going to do this every time someone knocks on the door?" my cousin scolded as she went to answer it.

"I will until I'm certain there's not an assassin there," I replied. June looked through the peephole, muttering all the while about me having a "happy trigger finger."

"You can put the gun down, August. It's Roy." I lowered my weapon at once. "August, go put your purse together. I got you a pair of flats in case your feet start to hurt." She opened the door and I could hear her talking to Roy. I went to the bed where my new clutch was lying. I picked up my ticket and some lipstick and placed them inside. After putting in a small hand mirror, I looked at the remaining two things: the flats and my gun. I could only fit one of them in. My hand lingered on my gun for a moment before I picked up the ballet flats and threw them inside. _Try telling me I have a happy trigger finger now! _

"August, are you ready?" I heard Roy call.

"Yes!" I yelled back. "I'm coming!" As I rushed towards the door, I couldn't help feeling that I might just need that gun. But, I shook it off. It was a simple mission. Besides, Roy had told me that I wouldn't need any weapons.

~*O*~

_Schloss Moenchstein Hotel _

The place where the gala was held was gorgeous. It was a lovely hotel on the other side of town that was decked out in finery for the special occasion. Apparently the gala was being held for some high-up person's birthday or something like that-I didn't really know or care. Roy and Simon had arrived in a separate cab before me and June and were already in the ballroom. There was a large staircase you had to walk down to get into the gala, just like in all the fairytales.

I couldn't help grinning as I gracefully walked down the staircase with June towards Simon and Roy. They too were smiling at both of us. As we reached the bottom, Roy took June's arm and Simon awkwardly took mine. I felt like Cinderella as the four of us walked onto the dance floor while a soft waltz played.

"May I have this dance?" Simon asked with much chivalry. I smiled and curtsied.

"Of course you can." I gave Simon my hand and placed my other hand on his shoulder. We began to gently sway to the music. I looked beside us and saw June and Roy dancing in each other's arms. June looked as if she had died and gone to heaven. I had to laugh at her expression.

"So, August. That's an interesting name," Simon said.

"It's tradition in my family to name their daughters after the months of the year that they were born in. Well, it actually started with June when her parents couldn't think of anything to name her. Then, the tradition stuck with her sister April and me. I'm just glad I wasn't born in September," I replied with a grin.

"I think it's cool," Simon put in. "It's different, like you."

"Well, thanks," I answered. "So, how did you get stuck in that government lab?"

"I grew up in Kansas, actually," Simon explained. "I was smarter than most kids my age and had a knack for technology, mostly anything mechanical. I wanted to go to MIT or some other college like that, but my family was pretty poor and we couldn't afford the tuition unless I got a lot of scholarships. The Zephyr was something I came up for an inventing competition, but it was only a prototype then. Some government agent was there and thought I showed potential, told me the government would pay for my tuition if I helped them out. I agreed and ended up in the lab in Wichita. And I stayed there until Roy broke me out."

"Wow," I said. "That's pretty rough."

"It wasn't that bad until people started trying to kill me," Simon joked.

I laughed. "Hey, is that a balcony?"

"I think so."

"Let's go check it out." We left Roy and June to dance while we went to talk on the balcony. My heels clicked on the stone floor as I walked to the railing. I gasped in wonder as the lights of Salzburg twinkled at me. "Isn't it beautiful?" I asked Simon as he came up behind me.

"Yes, it is," he replied with a smile. "But not as beautiful as you." I was stunned.

"No one's ever said something like that to me before," I whispered as I looked down at the ground. Simon lifted my chin up.

"Then they don't know what they're missing." He gently pressed his lips to mine. For a moment I was in shock, but soon I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back. We drew back away from each other, still in surprise from a minute earlier. "I'm sorry," Simon apologized. "I shouldn't have done that."

I put a finger on his lips to silence him. "Don't be." I kissed him again, more relaxed this time. We were very close to having a make-out session on the balcony when I heard someone clear their throat behind us. I detached myself from Simon to see it was June and Roy. "Uh, hi," I said nervously, trying to fix my disheveled hair.

"Sorry to disturb you," Roy said with a laugh. June still stood with her arms crossed.

"Um…I'm sorry?" I told her.

"August, we need to talk." I reluctantly left Simon's arms and followed June.

We went into the ballroom and June pulled me into a corner. "What?" I asked.

"What were you doing out there?"

"Umm…giving mouth to mouth?" I answered.

"No, you weren't-but oh my gosh he kissed you!" she said happily.

"I know right?" I laughed. "And…it was kind of fun."

"Well, that's good," June replied. "Kissing is supposed to be fun. But, you better not go any farther. Or else I'll resurrect your father to go chase him down with a shotgun!"

I smiled. "I think Roy would work just as well."

"I told Roy I loved him," June admitted.

"What did he say?" I asked excitedly.

"He didn't say anything…hey, is that Naomi?" I looked over and saw Roy approach a Hispanic woman sitting at the bar.

"I guess so." I noticed June was appearing to be almost jealous. "June, are you okay?"

"I'm going over there."

"No, you're staying here like Roy told us to!" I grasped her arm to keep her with me. June pulled her arm away and walked nonchalantly over towards the bar. "June, come back!" I hissed. My cousin continued towards the bar, paying me no mind. I leaned against the wall. _Now we'll never get home._

~*O*~

June walked closer to the bar, not paying any attention to August's whispered threats. She took a seat fairly close to Roy and Naomi, but far enough away so Roy wouldn't notice her that easily. She ordered a tequila on the rocks and listened carefully to their conversation.

"You seem different," Naomi was saying to Roy.

"Do I?" Roy asked.

Naomi bit her lip. "So, who are your companions? The teenager. She's smart. And the blond-well, she's beautiful. They both seem capable." June had to smile at the compliments from the strange woman.

"I just met them," Roy said. "They're nobodies." June looked down at her drink, partly hurt and partly fuming with anger. "They're just someone that I picked up along the way." If June wasn't trying to stay hidden, she would have punched Roy.

Naomi smiled. "That's a shame."

Roy looked at her. "This is getting boring. Are we going to do a deal or not?"

The other woman laughed before growing deathly serious. "Don't speak to me like that." Roy leaned in like he was going to kiss her, but instead maneuvered towards her ear. June leaned in to listen.

"I will speak to you any way I please, Tony." Roy said quietly. June was in shock. _Tony? Like Antonio? Antonio Quintana? Is Roy selling the Zephyr to him?_ Roy was still talking. "We both know you're lucky I'm here. I have the battery. I'm on a schedule. The world is full of bad guys and people are calling."

June gasped. _He is selling the Zephyr! _She cursed herself for being so stupid. Meanwhile, Roy and Naomi drew away from each other. "I understand," Naomi replied. "What's your price?"

_I have to tell someone, August if anything. We have to get out of here right now._ June still lingered though, trying to get more information. "I have a figure in mind," Roy said thoughtfully. "What's it worth to you?" That was enough for June. She quietly got her things and headed away from the bar, quickly draining her tequila. She slammed the glass down and walked towards the exit. June was in the hallway outside the ballroom when someone caught her arm. She whirled around and found herself face to face with Agent Fitzgerald.

"Hello, June," Fitz said with a smile.

~*O*~

I was looking everywhere for June, trying to figure out where she went to. Roy was still at the bar with Naomi, so I decided I should stay away so I wouldn't ruin the mission. But, I hadn't seen June since she had hurried over to the bar to spy on Roy. "June, where are you?" I whispered. All of a sudden, someone touched me on the shoulder. I grabbed my assailant's arm and twisted it behind his back.

"Ow, ow, ow! August, stop! It's just me!" I saw it was Simon and instantly dropped his arm, mortified.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Simon examined his arm, still not sure if it was in one piece. "I'm fine. But, you need to listen to this." He pulled out a small device from his pocket. "It's a listening device I've been working on," he explained sheepishly. "I overheard Roy's conversation accidentally, but it sounds like…" He sighed. "It sounds like Roy is selling the Zephyr."

I glared at Simon. "Why would he do that? How can you even say that?"

"I don't know-why don't you listen for yourself?" He handed me the device and I took it, shoving the headphones into my ears and pointing it towards Roy and Naomi. I was shocked at what I heard.

"_So how much, Tony? How much for the Zephyr?"_ It was Roy.

"I'll kill him," I said as I took the device and put it in my clutch. "And then I'll resurrect him and kill him again!" I stormed towards the bar.

"August, where are you going?" Simon called.

"Just stay there, Simon!" I ordered as I went to go give Roy a piece of my mind. I walked up and tapped Roy on the shoulder. "Hi, Uncle Rodney," I said sweetly.

"Hi, Sarah. I'm kind of busy right now."

"Oh, you're too busy to talk to your favorite niece? That's cold." I looked at Naomi. "If I were you, I would leave now. You know who I am and what I can do."

Naomi quickly said her goodbyes and left. Roy was furious. "What was that all about?" he said angrily.

I was fuming. "How dare you?" I yelled. "Not only did you lie to us, but you're selling the thing that we've risked our _lives _to protect! I should kill you!" I pulled my hand back to strike him across the face, but Simon held me back.

"You're not going to solve anything by fighting," he soothed. "Let Roy explain."

"Simon, let me go before I hurt you-this time on purpose." I yanked my arm out of Simon's grip. "And don't worry, I'm leaving." I began to walk away.

"August, please, just let me explain," Roy said. I spun on my heel and glared at him.

"Why should I trust you?" I asked coldly. "You betrayed us."

"I was just trying to get you and June home!" Roy yelled. My glare softened for a moment before hardening again.

"How is selling the Zephyr supposed to get us back home?" I screamed. Just then, the ballroom door burst open and men and women came running in, guns drawn. I looked back at Roy, but he was already gone. _That traitor, _I thought. I smiled at Simon. "Goodbye," I said softly. I kicked off my heels and, picking up my skirts, ran towards the balcony.

"August, no!" I heard June scream.

"August!" Simon cried.

I didn't listen and ran across the tiled balcony towards the railing and flung myself over the edge, falling into space. I didn't open my eyes, not wanting to see the end. I clutched my locket to my chest. _I'm sorry, June. I'm sorry, Simon. And I'm sorry, Dad. I guess I wasn't strong enough. _I was about ready for the sudden stop that was surely deadly, but instead there was a splash and I was surrounded by water. My eyes shot open. _I'm in the pool! I'm alive!_

My dress started to weigh me down, but I wasn't about to give up after this streak of luck. I grabbed ahold of the hem and tore it, tearing a good portion of my skirt off. Then, with my legs free of the excess fabric, I kicked up to the surface, gasping for air once I reached it. Swimming over to the side, I weakly pulled myself out of the pool and took off running. I didn't look back, even when I heard orders to stop.

Just as I thought I was free, a heavy weight hit me and pinned me down, forcing my face into the dew-covered grass. Hands roughly grabbed my arms and handcuffed them behind my back. I was pulled off the ground without any dignity and became face-to-face with my captor.

"Fitz," I spat.

He smiled sleazily. "Hello, August. You're under arrest for aiding and abetting a fugitive, resisting arrest,…" I let him drone on, looking ahead. He had caught me, the elusive August Havens, and he was pretty darn proud of it.

We entered the plaza outside the hotel and I saw June standing by a SUV, still wearing her ball gown. She looked up and the color seemed to drain from her face. "August!" she called, rushing towards us.

"Ma'am, excuse us. I have to escort this fugitive to custody," Fitz tried to explain.

"Back off!" June yelled. "And August is not a fugitive! She was just caught up in this like me!" Fitz backed away, clearly intimidated by my furious cousin. June turned and hugged me tightly.

"Hi," I managed to choke. There was a smack and I clutched my cheek, looking strangely at June. She had never hit me like that before. "What was that for?" I cried.

"You promised me that you weren't going to get yourself killed!" June screamed. "And then you just jumped off the balcony! You could've died!"

"I didn't have a choice!" I shrieked back. "I wasn't about to go to jail!"

"They weren't going to take us to jail!"

"Oh, so they were going to keep us 'safe,' huh?"

"Gosh darn it August, listen to me!" I looked at her, tears streaming down my face. June's nails dug into my skin from where she was clutching my arms. "Roy betrayed us. He was going to sell the Zephyr."

"I know," I replied. "Don't worry, I already beat him up for you."

"The CIA is going to let us go home," my cousin explained. "I already talked to the director."

"How do you know that we can trust them?" I whispered.

"How do you know that we can trust Roy?" June retorted.

Just then, there was a commotion and we all glanced up to see Roy jumping from rooftop to rooftop. "Oh my word," I muttered. June was in awe as we watched him flee from the plaza area.

All of a sudden, everyone in the plaza went into action. Fitz seemed to forget all about me and ran off with some other agents to chase Roy on the roof. A woman with dark skin and hair hurried out of the hotel, instantly taking charge. I was about to try to escape, but June kept a strong grip on me.

"Don't even think about it," she warned. "Director George!" she yelled to the woman. The woman glanced at us and snapped at an agent.

"Bring them," she said. "Get in the car," she told us. The agent brought us to a car and we hopped in. The director got in the passenger seat and the car took off. "You must be August," Director George said to me. "I've heard so much about you."

I glared at her, not wanting to make polite conversation. "You're going to kill us, aren't you? We probably know too much as it is. June and I, we're only civilians. We're easily expendable."

"August!" June cried. The director simply laughed.

"No, we're not going to kill you. In fact, your safety is our first priority. You'll go home, I promise." She looked at my bound arms. "He actually handcuffed you," she said while rolling her eyes. She took a key out of her pocket and gave it to June. "Unlock her, if you please." June obeyed and I sighed with relief as I rubbed my wrists, trying to get circulation back in them. I still didn't believe that the director would let us go home, though.

I was also pretty furious at Roy, too. _I was just trying to get you and June home._ The last thing he had said to me. I jolted out of my stupor. He knew that the CIA was closing in on us. He knew that June, Simon, and I would surely be captured and/or killed. So he did the ultimate thing to save us: betray us.

There was someone screaming on the walkie-talkie in our vehicle and the driver pulled over. I recognized the voice as Fitz. _"Stand down! Put down your weapons! He has the battery!" _I swiftly pulled open my door and ran onto the street, peering up at where all the action was. Roy was cornered on the roof, with Fitz and all his men closing in. Roy was desperately trying to hold them off with his handgun, but it wasn't enough. There was a single shot and Roy was hit, falling into the dark river below.

"_No!"_ I shrieked. June got out of the car, and I noticed a single tear roll down her face. Quickly, I ran towards a staircase leading down to the river, June right behind me. But, while June stopped at the end of the stairs, I continued running until I reached the water, plunging in headfirst. "Roy!" I screamed. "Roy, answer me!" I took in a deep breath and dove under, frantically searching for a hand, a foot, anything. _It'll be okay. I'll find him, then June can do CPR like in the movies and then they'll kiss and live happily ever after. _I came up for air, then dove under again. I couldn't see anything and came up again.

"August, stop!" June was screaming from the shore. "Come back!" I kept searching desperately through the black water, hoping for something.

"Roy!" I shrieked. "Darn it, answer me!" Just then, hands were grabbing me and pulling me away from my search. I began screaming like a wild animal as I was dragged out of the water. Finally, I turned and bit one of the arms dragging me. He let go, and I pulled away from the others, running back to the water. I didn't make it far, and someone grabbed me around the waist and half-carried me away from the river.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled. "Please, I have to find Roy! Let me go!" My captor didn't listen to my pleas and continued to drag me away. I continued to scream and scream until I felt a sharp prick in my arm and everything started to fade away.

"Roy," I whimpered before my world went black.

_**And that ladies and gentlemen, concludes chapter 11 of our story! Wow, this chapter was long-over 7,000 words. Well, I figured you all deserved an extra long chapter since I took such a large amount of time. My goal is to finish this story by August of this year and-if you all want-start on a sequel! (Yes, I have a sequel in mind.) But, before I do a sequel for sure, I want at least five different people to review and tell me yes! So, if you want August's Story to continue after this one, please review and tell me! Bye!**_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean_

_I was running down to the river, screaming Roy's name. "Roy! Roy!" I kept crying. I jumped into the river and searched desperately for any sign of him. "No! You can't be dead! You can't!" Then, there were arms pulling me away from my search and I was screaming, pleading to be let go. They couldn't take me away! I had to keep looking. He was just knocked out underwater; I could find him and save him. Why won't they let me go? I need to find…_

"Roy!" I said as I sat up. My head throbbed and I had to lean back. _Where am I? Okay, focus. Find the information. _I took a deep breath and sat up straight. I realized that I was sitting in an airplane seat, which meant I was on a plane! I turned to look out the window and saw nothing but water. _Apparently we're over the Atlantic. Or maybe the Pacific?_

Just then, I heard voices from the front of the plane. I turned towards them, still hiding behind my seat. I didn't want anyone to know I was awake yet. "…I just don't understand why August acted the way she did last night." It was June. My eyes widened as I leaned closer to listen in.

"Well you have to think, she's been fed a steady stream of lies for the past week. She trusted Roy and thought he would keep the two of you safe." I recognized the voice as Director George. _They weren't lies! He was keeping us from prison or worse! _

"I haven't seen her act like that except when her parents died almost three years ago. The EMT's had to sedate her then, too."

"August is a young girl, June, even though she may not seem like it. Her parents' deaths were very traumatic and shocking for her and she couldn't process it. You and your sister were all she had left. Then, Roy entered her life and became almost like family. When he fell into the river, it was like her parents were dying again. So, August reacted just like she did on that other fateful night. She was regressing, June. It was perfectly normal. Getting back to your old lives will be just the thing to help her."

I was fuming. How dare that woman stick her nose in my business! She only met me last night! She didn't know me at all, let alone be able to psychoanalyze me. She wasn't my psychologist.

"…I guess you're right, Director. But, what will our lives be like now? Do we need a bodyguard or anything?"

I heard the director laugh. "No, you don't need a bodyguard. All you need to do is attend April's wedding and August's dance recital and go to work every day. You are both just normal civilians. But, you will need a cover story. August will need to be with us for that, though."

"Of course. I'll go see if she's awake now." I heard June start walking up the aisle towards me. I quickly adjusted myself to where I appeared to be asleep. I felt June's hair tickle my arm as she leaned over me. She gently shook me. "August, it's time to wake up." I groaned and slowly opened my eyes.

"What happened last night?" I asked, trying to pretend I couldn't remember anything.

"Well, you tried to kill yourself twice, for one."

"Oh, yeah…you should try jumping off a balcony sometime, June. It's pretty fun." I sighed when I saw the look on June's face. "I'm sorry?"

"It's okay. Do you remember…what happened to Roy?"

I bit my lip and nodded, trying to keep myself from crying. _Stay strong, August. You still have a lot of strength left in you. _My dad's words were the only thing keeping me from breaking down. I took a shaky breath. "What are we going to do now?"

"Director George has cleared us of any charges and is willing to let us go home. We can be normal again, August. Isn't that great?"

_No! No, it's not great! Last night you told Roy that you loved him, now you're willing to just forget him and move on? _"Sure," I said with a bit of a smile. I couldn't let June know how I really felt. That would have to wait until we got home. I allowed her to lead me to a table where Director George was waiting for us.

"Good morning, August," the director said.

"Good morning," I replied coldly. I wasn't about to show any courtesy to this woman. "I understand that you are going to offer us a deal."

"I wouldn't really call it a deal but more as a proposition," Director George corrected. "I have dropped all charges against the two of you and made sure to say that you two were kidnapped by Miller and forced to do all those illegal things. Luckily, the U.S. government believed it and you are free to go. In exchange, you will go home and back to your old lives. If people ask what happened, say that you were held hostage by a disgruntled man angry at the government. He didn't hurt you, but it was a traumatic experience and you don't want to talk about it. Understand?"

June nodded at once while I looked her in the eye. "And what happens if we let more than that slip?" I asked.

"Let's just say that it won't be pretty," the woman answered while looking at me just as strongly.

I lowered my gaze and backed down. I wasn't about to fight with a government official, especially if she was allowing us our freedom. "What about Roy?"

"Don't worry, we'll find the body," Director George said bluntly. "We have to. He went down with the Zephyr."

I bit my lip to keep from screaming at the director, even as I tasted blood. _He's not just a body! He was a great man who saved mine and June's lives countless times! _But, I couldn't say that. And it tore me up inside that I couldn't even defend him. "Is Simon all right?"

"Yes. In fact, he's on his way to a new lab right now. Agents Fitzgerald and Falls are transporting him as we speak." I involuntarily cringed at Fitz's name.

"Well, that's good," I said. "At least he'll be able to work on his inventions in peace now."

The director smiled. "We're almost to Boston, so why don't you two get your belongings together and get ready for landing."

"Okay," June answered. I got my things together, which wasn't much-only my beat up purse filled with various articles of clothing and other items. I noticed that all of my weapons had been removed, though. _Probably confiscated._

Once we reached the Boston airport, there was a car waiting for us. An agent helped us get our bags into the car. "Where to, ladies?" he asked.

"Oh my gosh, today's Saturday!" I blurted.

June was also surprised. "Oh my gosh, April's wedding! Sir, can you drop us off at Old North Christ Church, please?"

"Of course." The car sped off. As we drove through Boston, June and I quickly found our bridesmaids' dresses and other things.

"Sir, can you please not look back here? We need to change," I said.

"Yes, miss." He averted his eyes to the road. Nevertheless, June and I changed quickly into our dresses, which were strangely not wrinkled like they had been shoved into a small bag for a week. We had our high heels from the gala the night before, so we just wore those. June managed to wrestle her hair into a bun and I pulled mine into a side ponytail.

By the time we deemed ourselves ready, the driver had pulled in front of the church. I yelled a quick thanks and that we could get a ride from one of the guests. He simply nodded and drove away. June and I sprinted through the church, ignoring the fact that we were wearing heels.

"April's probably having a heart attack," I said breathlessly as we ran.

"Well, let's hope she's not walking down the aisle yet!" June yelled back.

We managed to find the bridal suite after a few minutes of searching. June took a moment to catch her breath before knocking on the door. No one answered. "We're too late," June moaned.

The door opened and April appeared. She looked like a dream in her dress and veil, but I could tell she had been crying. Her eyes grew wide when she saw us. "June? August?" she cried. We both nodded. April's eyes grew moist as she leaned in to hug us both. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I heard that you were being held hostage!"

"We're fine," I said reassuringly. "He was just angry at the government and didn't hurt us."

"He was just trying to make a point," June added.

"Some point," April said. "But as long as you're both all right, it doesn't matter."

"That's right," I replied. "Besides, it's your big day, remember? You don't need to worry about us. Let's just get you married."

"I agree," June put in.

"Okay," April answered tearfully. "I think the other bridesmaids are lining up, August. You're paired with Shane."

"What? I'm paired with Shane!"

"I'm sorry, but all the other girls were paired up at the rehearsal last night. You'll be okay though, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I mentally cringed at the fact of having to walk down the aisle with my ex. But, it was April's day. Whatever feelings I had towards Shane could wait until tomorrow. "I'll go line up. See you two in a bit!" I hurried down the hallways until I found a bunch of girls wearing yellow dresses lined up with a bunch of guys in suits. I ignored everyone's questions and got Shane.

"August? What are you doing here?" Shane asked.

"Just shut up. I'm not happy about having to walk with you, but I'll do it anyway for April. So, don't talk to me, don't flirt with me, and don't touch me. If you do that, we'll get along fine. Okay?" Shane nodded quickly.

"You are okay with me touching your arm to escort you, right?" he implored.

"Well, yes, but only because you have to. But, Shane, I don't love you anymore. I don't want to get back together with you. You really need to move on, find another girl."

"August, you don't have to worry about that. I've been dating Kelly Rogers from our school for about a week. I wanted to call you to tell you that I had moved on, but that nut had kidnapped you. Speaking of which, what happened?"

Luckily, the wedding march began to play, so all of the bridal party had to get into position. I placed my hand on Shane's arm, full of relief that he wasn't going to hit on me all day. I smiled at the shocked guests as I walked down the aisle. _They must still think that I'm kidnapped._

We reached the front of the church and stood in our respective spots. I almost started crying when June led April down the aisle towards Ben, whose face had to hurt from smiling that big. The happy couple took each other's hands and looked deeply into each other's eyes.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and woman in holy matrimony…"

~*O*~

The wedding was beautiful, and I'll admit that I cried at certain parts of it. At the reception, June and I chose not to mingle, but instead stayed at our table. Some people came to see how we were doing after our "harrowing experience," but we stuck to our script and gave Director George's answer to them. After only an hour, we hitched a ride home with a friend of Ben's and went home.

As soon as we got inside our townhouse, I ran up to my room. "August, stop. We need to talk," June said.

"Shut up! You betrayed Roy, June. You told him you loved him and then you just betrayed him!"

"He betrayed us first!"

"He was doing it to protect us! To make sure we could get home without being arrested or killed!"

"Just go to bed!"

"Okay!" I slammed my door shut for good measure. I ran and leaped onto my bed, clutching my pillow to my mouth to muffle the sobs that were finally being let out._ Roy's dead. He's really dead. And the last thing I said to him was so mean._ I continued to cry into my pillow, mourning my…companion? No, he was much more than that. I was mourning my friend.

The next morning, I woke up with puffy eyes and a sore throat from crying so much. I looked at my phone and realized that today was my dance recital! "Shoot!" I muttered as I quickly dialed my dance teacher's number.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, Miss K. It's August Havens."

"_August! Oh my goodness, are you okay? I saw on the news last night that you and June had been released."_

"Yeah, we're fine. Hey, is it okay if I perform in the recital today? I know I missed some rehearsals."

"_Of course you can perform! It's wasn't your fault that you couldn't make the dress rehearsals. Call time is at six. I'll see you there."_

"Thanks, Miss K. I'll see you at six."

"_Okay, bye, August."_

"Bye." I hung up and went downstairs to find June cooking pancakes.

"Morning," she said stiffly.

"Morning," I said in the same tone. I got some dishes out of the cabinet and proceeded to set the table.

"August, we really need to talk."

"Why? We talked last night."

"Don't even start with me, August. I don't want to talk about Roy being a bad guy or anything. The thing is…I have a feeling that he's still alive."

I could feel tears at the corners of my eyes. "Wake up, June! Roy's dead! He's not alive-he's dead!" Then, I ran back upstairs to my room, locked my door, and began to cry while June tried to talk me into coming out.

Eventually, I fell asleep and woke up to June unscrewing the hinges off my door. I sat up right as she broke the lock and physically picked up the door and put it in the hallway. "You took my door," I accused.

"Well, it's time for you to stop moping around and focus on getting ready for your recital," June said cheerily. I sighed and got out of bed. June luckily was smart enough to leave me alone as I did my hair and makeup. I pulled on my dance outfit (a loose, sheer white dress) and my skin-colored jazz shoes. I came downstairs where June was waiting.

"August, you look lovely," she said. I simply nodded and went to get in the truck. I still wasn't over being mad at her. June got in the driver's seat beside me. "You know, you're going to have to talk to me eventually."

I remained silent. I was still mad at her. "Well, I hope you're fine with stopping at the shop after your recital. I need to check on some things." I nodded and focused on watching the familiar scenery outside the window. Once we arrived at the auditorium where the recital was taking place, I got out of the car and went straight to the dressing room. The first person I ran into was my best friend Blaire.

"Oh my gosh, August! You're alive!" She instantly wrapped me in a hug.

"Blaire…let go…I can't breathe," I managed to say.

She released me. "Sorry, but I'm just so happy that you're alive! We all thought you were dead or something!"

"Well, I'm alive." I gave a small smile. "When do we go on?"

"About fifteen minutes. Hey, there's my dad. Dad, look! August's back!" Tom Pruitt, Blaire's dad and Boston Chief of Police, came walking up.

"August. It's great to see that you're back with us."

"Hi, Chief Pruitt. Don't worry, we're fine."

"Are you sure? I can put an officer at your house."

"No, you don't have to do that. June and I can handle ourselves."

"Okay, if you say so. I'm going to find my seat. Good luck, girls."

"Thanks!" I called after him.

After he left, Blaire turned back to me. "So, what exactly happened to you?"

"Nothing much. We were just held in a warehouse for a week. He didn't hurt us. He just wanted to make a point."

"Oh. It must have been scary though, huh? Being kidnapped like that?"

"Yeah, it was. But, I will tell you something." Blaire leaned in to hear. "I would love to tell you every little detail, but I honestly can't. I can't tell anyone anything until the trial when it's released to the public. And there won't be one until they can catch the guy."

"Oh, okay." Blaire seemed disappointed. Luckily, it was time for us to get into our position for our dance, so I didn't have to listen to any more of Blaire's questions. Our dance was to "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. As I danced to the music, I felt all my grief begin to fade as I became lost to the world. All I could focus on was completing that dance for Roy. He had gotten me here in the first place. When the music ended, I could feel tears trickling down my face again. _I hope you could see me, Roy. Wherever you are._

I left the stage and went into the bathroom. I sat in one of the stalls and began to cry. _Darn my emotions! _I felt so helpless. _I could've saved Roy. Then maybe we could be somewhere with him right now. _There was a knock on the stall door.

"August, are you all right? Blaire came and got me." I had never been so happy to hear June's voice. I opened the door and practically fell into her arms. She rubbed my back. "It's okay, sweetie. We're leaving now."

She helped me get in the truck and we started to drive back. "I still need to stop at the shop. Are you okay with that?" I nodded. June sighed. "August, I know that you're blaming yourself for what happened to Roy, but it wasn't your fault. You almost drowned yourself trying to save him. It's just like your parents' accident. You couldn't have done anything to stop that, either."

By that time, June had pulled up to her garage. "I put a bag of normal clothes in the truck if you want to change," she said as she got out. I found the bag and went into the shop to change. As I went to the bathroom, I noticed June staring at the finished GTO, complete with a blue bow on the roof. When I had normal clothes on, I went to find June.

"Hey, little missy." It was Wilmer, one of June's dad's friends who worked at the shop.

"Hey, Wilmer."

June was leaning on a car nearby. I stood beside her. All of a sudden, the radio came on. _"…Boston's classic rock station. Here are the Kingsmen." _Then, a song that I just wanted to forget came blaring over the garage's speakers.

"This just come in?" June asked Wilmer, nodding to the car above his head.

"G-body Grand Prix. Longest hood in history. Going to be a real beaut."

_Louie, Louie_

_Oh, no_

_Me gotta go_

_Ay, yi, yi, yi_

I looked over at June and saw that a light bulb had gone off in her head. She hurried to her office. I sighed. "What now, June?" I followed her and found her sitting at her computer, muttering to herself.

"Ru-pa…Fee-pa…No, it's 5826 Amapola." She typed the address into Google Maps and I was shocked to see the same house from Roy's phone pop up on her computer screen.

"That's like an hour from here," I said.

"Maybe it's a safe-house," June replied. My eyes grew wide._ Could Roy be alive and hiding in a safe house right now? _

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I laughed. June ran to grab some parts while I hopped into the passenger seat of the GTO. She returned a few moments later with a large box. I put it between us as June ripped the bow off the top of the car and threw it in the back. We drove off into the night, hoping that just maybe, Roy would be alive.

~*O*~

We had only been driving for a short time when I noticed that a certain car had been right behind us for a long time. "June, I think we're being followed," I said as I looked behind us. She glanced in her rearview mirror.

"I think so, too."

"We can't let them know where we're going. If Roy's there, they'll kill him!"

"Well, just hang on. This might be a little bumpy." She changed lanes and got right beside a tow truck. "Here we go," she whispered. She threw the wheel to the right and did a U-turn right around the tow truck. I screamed and clutched onto the seat as we sped in the opposite direction, leaving our pursuers behind in a big traffic jam. June got the car on an on-ramp leading to where we wanted to go. We smiled as we headed to our destination.

Once we reached the house, June drove slowly by it before parking a block away. We walked back to it and went around to the backyard, where the Grand Prix was parked in the garage. June peeked in one of the windows where an older man was on the computer. I saw his gun rack on the other wall. "June, get down!" I warned.

Just then, the man turned around and stares right at us. I screamed and tripped over a bush, falling on my butt in the dirt. Then, June set off the sprinkler system, soaking both of us. She got me up and we were about to run back to the car when I heard a shotgun cock. I froze and turned around, hands raised. All the lights in the house turned on.

"Who's out there?" It was the man who had been at the computer. "I'm not afraid to use this."

A woman came out behind the man. "Oh, Frank, look at them!"

"I want to know what they're doing on my lawn in the middle of the night," Frank said.

The sprinklers shut off. "I…I have the pistons you ordered," June explained, holding up the box she brought from the garage.

"Pistons?" Frank asked.

"For the '67 Grand Prix," June said while nodding her head towards the car.

Frank turned to his wife. "Molly, I didn't…"

Molly shook her head and smiled at us. "You are all wet. Please, come inside."

June and I walked up to the house. "That worked out better than I thought," June said with a grin.

"You thought you were going to have to break in _Mission: Impossible _style, didn't you?" I whispered.

June laughed. "Maybe."

The house definitely didn't look like a spy safe house. It was furnished with a lot of knickknacks and old furniture. Unless there were gadgets hidden in the wall. Or maybe there was a secret basement. Molly provided a couple of robes for us to wear while she dried our clothes. We went into the living room where Frank had turned on a football game. He settled into his chair, keeping an eye on us the whole time.

"The Pontiac you have out there, Frank, is a real classic," June said.

"Mmm-hmm," Frank muttered.

"I really love pre-70's Grand Prixs," June continued.

"Mmm-hmm."

"So, you two lived here long?" I asked.

"This old place?" Molly had come in the room. "It's been our home for 40 years." She walked by us with two glasses of milk and a plate of cookies. "Sit down, honey," she said to me. "Have a cookie." June and I sat down on two chairs near Frank. "Frank thinks we should move, but you know what? I am comfortable. And we can afford to stay, thanks to Publishers Clearing House."

June and I were shocked. "It's not a scam?" I asked as June implored:

"You won Publishers Clearing House?" I looked up at a picture on the wall of Molly and Frank receiving a big framed check.

"Twice," Frank replied.

"Plus, we won two lotto quick picks Frank doesn't even remember buying," Molly put in.

"Because I didn't buy them," Frank muttered.

"Oh, yeah, like you didn't order pistons off the Internet," Molly scoffed. "You don't know what you're typing into that computer, Frank." I stifled a laugh. "Another couple minutes on your clothes, girls." She walked out of the room.

June leaned in closer to Frank. "So," she said softly. "Roy Miller. This was one of his safe houses, wasn't it?"

I lightly kicked her in the leg when I saw the confused look Frank was giving her. "June, he doesn't know what you're talking about," I whispered. Frank turned off the T.V.

"What in the heck are you talking about?" he asked. June bit her lip and looked down at her lap. Molly came in with our clothes.

"Honey, what's this all about?" she inquired.

June couldn't say anything. I decided to answer for her. "I'm sorry, we just thought, maybe…we must've had this all wrong. We were just looking for some information about our friend Roy."

"If you girls would like to change, there's a powder room right there," Molly explained. We nodded and turned in the direction she was pointing. We passed by a mantle filled with pictures. One of them caught my eye. Molly noticed it, too.

"That's our son, Matthew," she said sadly. "We lost him in Kuwait. There was a chopper crash. He saved the lives of two of his crewmen, and…" She paused for a moment. "He just always took care of everyone. He was an Eagle Scout." I gasped when I realized who the picture reminded me of.

_Roy! _I thought. I kept my mouth shut as Molly continued.

"…This was taken the day he got that swimming badge. He could swim clear across Lake Sunapee with practically one breath."

Alarm bells went off in my head. _If he could hold his breath that long as a kid, he could still swim across that river! _

June had turned to face Molly. "I just…I've been terribly rude. I'm June Havens, and this is my cousin August." We both gave her our hands.

Molly smiled. "Molly Knight."

After we got changed, we left the Knight home and ran back to our car. "Roy has to be alive," I gasped. "He has to be!"

"Don't worry, I have a plan," June replied. She pulled out her cellphone and punched a few numbers into it. "This is June Havens, and I'm leaving a message on my own machine for whoever is listening to this phone call. I have the Zephyr. I have the Zephyr, and I'm ready to make a deal. My cousin August and I are sitting on Route 28, right outside of New Hampshire. And if you want the Zephyr, you better come and get it." She hung up and started dismantling a flashlight.

"That was your plan!" I exclaimed. "To get us both killed?"

"Shhh…I hear something." Sure enough, there was a car screeching after us. She handed me the flashlight. "Get the battery out of it. And hold on." She turned the key and drove onto the road. But, only after a few minutes, we were stopped by a roadblock. June swung the car around and parked. "Come on, August."

We got out of the car with our hands raised. I was wishing that I had a gun really bad. "Hey, fellas," June said with a smile. She took the flashlight battery from my trembling hand. The men were all staring at us, some speaking Spanish into their phones. "So, you want the Zephyr?" June asked. She held up the flashlight battery. "I got the Zephyr. It's right here." She threw it up and caught it. "Come and get it."

One of the men snuck up behind her and coldcocked her with his pistol. She fell onto the ground. "June!" I cried. I went to help her, but I was grabbed from behind and a black bag was thrown over my head.

"_Let me go!" _I yelled. _"No!" _I was thrown up against a car and my head smacked the roof hard. Through my wooziness, I felt myself being dragged away. _Well June, looks like your plan worked, _I thought.

_**Yay, end of chapter 12! And, as a special treat, chapter 13 will be posted today too! (They were both really easy to write.) And, I will be writing a sequel, thanks to all the wonderful reviews! :) The title will be revealed at the end of the next chapter. So, keep reviewing so I'll keep writing!**_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_Somewhere in Boston_

I realized shortly after being captured that struggling was pointless. Antonio's men were much stronger than me and I couldn't see where I was going since I had a bag over my head. I was forced into a car along with an unconscious June and driven to who knows where. Then, one of the men practically dragged me up a set of stairs into a small plane. The bag was thrown off and I found myself face to face with Eduardo, Antonio's right hand man.

"What do you want with us?" I asked coldly.

"Your cousin has information that Antonio wants. And you…well, you're just a pretty face that my boss can't wait to see again."

If I wasn't handcuffed to my seat, I would've reached over and tried to strangle Eduardo. But, unfortunately, I was. _I'll save it for the actual dirtbag._ I instead decided to give him my best death glare. "Eduardo, you know as much as I do that I am more than just a pretty face," I said.

The man laughed. "I know." He leaned in towards me so I was staring him right in the eye. "That's why he wants to see you die right in front of him."

I involuntarily shuddered. I couldn't help it. _Am I actually going to die? _I shook it off and leaned back. "That might be a little difficult because well…" I gave him another glare. "I'm a lot harder to kill than you think."

"It is not hard to put a bullet in your head," Eduardo answered. "Which you will be receiving soon." After that, he got up and left me alone. I was physically shaking after he did, my hard exterior gone. _Just be strong. Don't let him get to you. _I took a couple of shaky breaths, trying to relax. I focused my thoughts on Roy. _Is he alive? _

I remembered what Molly had told me. _"He could swim clear across Lake Sunapee on practically one breath." _I envisioned the river in my mind. It wasn't that wide. If Roy could still hold his breath that long, he surely could have swum across it. And, even if he was shot, he probably would have fixed it up pretty quick. I sighed. _I don't think that we'll be able to make an escape like that. _As I thought that, tears began to slowly trickle from my eyes. _I won't be able to escape. I'm going to die. _

I leaned my head into my hands and began to softly cry. I would save my strength until my execution, where I would stare Antonio right in the eye until I was killed. Then, he would forever have the image of my face burned into his memory. That thought gave me some comfort as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

~*O*~

_Sevilla, Spain_

"Get up!" a strange voice yelled. Disoriented, I shot up straight and found myself eye to eye with some man's chest. Apparently, I didn't move quickly enough for him, for I was grabbed by the arm and thrown down onto the floor. I cried out and barely managed to stop myself with my hands. _"¡Vamonos!" _he shouted. I was grabbed by the back of my shirt and pulled up into a standing position.

"All right, all right! I'm going!" I said. I was taken out of the plane into the hot sun of Spain. _Well, August, at least you got to see Spain before you died. _A car was awaiting us below on the runway. June was lifted into the trunk while I was put into the backseat beside Eduardo. He smiled at me.

"_Buenos días, Señorita August._ Welcome to _España." _We were driven through a city that I would've found lovely under different circumstances. I looked out the window and saw a lot of young men dressed all in white waiting impatiently behind makeshift fences. I gasped.

"The Festival of San Fermin," I whispered. "The Running of the Bulls."

Eduardo laughed. "Smart girl. The festival just started today."

I continued watching the people laughing and celebrating in the streets. One police officer on horseback grew so close to the car that I could've touched his leg. But before I could do anything, I felt the muzzle of a gun pressed against my side. I didn't even flinch. "Go ahead, shoot," I said coldly. "Why not get it over with?"

Eduardo pulled the gun away from me and instead put it against the seat leading to the trunk. "What about your dear cousin?"

I drew my eyes away from the officer and stared down at my lap. The henchman put the gun in his waistband and sat up straight. I bit my lip. _What am I going to do?_

A little while later, the car pulled into a driveway leading into the plaza of a very fancy mansion. I was taken out of the backseat and led into the home. "This is Antonio's compound," Eduardo explained as he led me through the hallways. I nodded and allowed him to drag me into a room. I was placed in a chair and my arms tied behind my back. My ankles were also secured to the legs of the chair. June was tied to another chair, but her wrists were bound to the arms of the chair. I was a little confused, but said nothing.

Eduardo left, so I kept myself occupied by staring at all the bull heads and whips hanging on the wall. But, soon enough, Antonio walked into the room. As soon as he saw me, he smiled sleazily. "August. How nice of you to grace my presence again."

I glared at him. "Antonio, I am not one of those trophy girls that will fall all over you. I know that you want to kill me, so let's just agree to be honest with each other, all right?"

Antonio was ticked. "Of course, Miss Havens. But, remember, I also hold your cousin's life in my hands. So, it might help her case if you cooperate with me."

"I will never stoop that low," I said angrily.

"As you wish," my enemy replied. "Eduardo!"

His right hand man came back, wheeling the evil medical tray in front of him. But this time, he did not go to me. He went to June.

"No!" I cried.

"Sorry, August, but you should have listened." Eduardo rolled up June's sleeve and injected some strange drug into her. I was about to start screaming very mean things in Spanish at Antonio, but June began to stir.

"Ouch!" she said. The bag was flung off her head and she looked around, very disoriented and confused. "August?"

"I'm right here, June," I answered. Eduardo wheeled the medical tray away, speaking something in Spanish to his boss.

"_Gracias," _Antonio said before smiling at June. "Today is the festival of San Fermin. Have you ever seen a bullfight, Miss Havens?"

"June, don't listen to him," I warned. Antonio glared at me and walked closer to June, still acting all suave and friendly.

"My name is Antonio Quintana," he said.

June laughed. "I know who you are." She continued to laugh, causing me to be concerned.

"What did he give her?" I ordered.

"The same thing we gave to you, August. A new kind of truth serum we are developing at my company."

"Really?" June replied. She seemed to be in awe. I was about to kill Antonio. Or at least disfigure him immensely.

"I have a few questions for you about the battery since we both know what you gave to my men was a joke," Antonio was saying to June.

I gasped. _We are so dead. _

June still kept giggling. "Wow. I don't like you very much," she slurred.

Antonio chuckled with her while I hung my head. "The truth!" he said. June nodded. "Good!" he put in. He said something to Eduardo, but I couldn't catch it.

"August, you need to try some of this!" June giggled. She looked at Antonio. "You know, I really like Miller, though. 'Cause, you know, I was totally wrong about him in Salzburg. He told us not to go to the bar because he knew that I would follow him. I'd turn him in, and then he could get me and August home safely. He was trying to protect us."

"Shut up," Antonio muttered.

"See, she doesn't know anything," I pleaded. "Just let her go, and you can deal with me."

June was still babbling. "It's crazy that I could feel so powerful and capable around him and August could be so strong and kickbutt…"

"Shut up," Antonio said a little louder.

"…and yet he takes care of us."

"Shut up! Where is the battery? Where is it?" Antonio ordered.

June smiled. "I bet you've never made a girl an omelet before, have you, Antonio?"

I groaned. _She's going to get us killed. _

Antonio laughed. "Don't test me, June."

"Or got her to her sister's wedding on time. It's really the little things, honestly. But they count so much."

"Enough!" Antonio was finished with playing games.

"Okay!" June said.

"Miller is dead! Roy Miller is dead, he's out. _¡Está_ _muerto! ¿Comprendes?"_

June was firm. "No. No, he's not. He can hold his breath for a really long time."

Antonio was really mad. "He _está muerto! _He is dead!"

I was even taken aback. "Antonio, she does not know anything," I said firmly.

"Do you?" he ordered.

"No! I don't even know where the stupid battery is! The last time I saw it was before your men captured me and Roy in Brooklyn! And that was a week ago!"

Antonio seemed to believe me, for he continued to interrogate June. "I'm not going to ask you again. But if you don't tell me what I need to know…" He pulled out his gun and pointed it to her head. "…you're going to die!"

"No! Don't shoot!" I cried.

"I don't know where the battery is," June said calmly.

"Then why did you tell everyone you had it? Why?" Antonio yelled.

"Because I was trying to find Roy," June replied.

Antonio began to mutter rapidly in Spanish. I caught something about June being crazy.

"Well, Antonio, whenever there's bad guys like you around, Roy's not too far away," my idiot cousin explained.

The Spanish man said something in his native language before smiling evilly at June and I. "You're going to die." He untied me from the chair and began to drag me from the room.

"No! June!" I screamed. "Let me go!" Antonio didn't listen and pushed me down the hallway.

"Shut up, you ignorant girl," he ordered. "I've been waiting to kill you for a long time. You escaped my prison once and killed one of my best assassins, but I am not going to let you get away again!"

I wasn't about to shut up. If he was going to kill me, I was going to make sure he wouldn't forget me that easily. I began to scream some things in Spanish that I really can't repeat until a bandanna was tied around my mouth to silence me. Antonio dragged me to the plaza where I saw another one of my worst enemies: Fitz.

I managed to get the bandanna off my mouth. "I knew you were a traitor! I knew it!" I shrieked. Antonio pulled the gag back up, effectively shutting me up.

"Finally!" he said to Fitz. "Nice to meet you, John. Sorry about Miss Havens. She likes to screech like a banshee."

"Antonio," Fitz replied cordially. "August," he greeted. I glared at him, the only thing I could do.

"Too bad you couldn't get the battery," Antonio said. "Where is the boy?"

My eyes grew wide. _Simon!_

Fitz seemed to be put off guard, but soon grew calm again. "You didn't think I'd just bring the package, did you?" Antonio laughed. "Why don't you follow me down to the river and bring the money? In fact, I'll take the girl off your hands. She can get the boy to cooperate."

Antonio contemplated this for a moment. "Okay. But the girl comes back with me after the exchange. We have some…unfinished business."

"All right." Fitz got me by the arm and took me to where his car was parked. He pulled off the gag. "No funny business, you hear me? I just extended your life."

I nodded. I wasn't about to argue when I had just received a few extra minutes to figure out how to escape. Fitz popped the trunk and there was Simon, handcuffed and terrified. "Simon!" I cried.

"August?" Simon seemed confused. "What are you doing here?"

Fitz didn't want to listen to our reunion. He pulled out his handgun and put it to my head. "Now Feck, if you don't do what I say, your little girlfriend is going to get it, all right?" Simon nodded, petrified. "Let's go!" he said to me. He closed the trunk and pushed me into the passenger seat while he got into the driver's side. I saw Antonio get into his car, carrying a large bag. Fitz reached over and buckled my seatbelt. "Safety first," he explained. I was repulsed.

"I can buckle my own seatbelt, thank you," I said coldly. I leaned my head against the window and sighed as the car began to pull away. _I have to figure out some way to escape. But, how?_

~*O*~

_**Okay, now things are going to get a little crazy. I'll try to make it make sense!**_

Roy looked down from his position on the compound's roof, shocked by what he had seen. He had only come to Antonio's place because he was following Simon, but he did not expect to see August being dragged out of the house, screaming obscene things at Antonio and Fitz. _And if August is here, June must not be far behind…_ Sure enough, he looked over and saw June being led away by a group of men, jabbering about something. He glanced at the cars that were leaving, then at June. Then at the cars again. Finally, he looked at June and sighed. _I can't just leave her. _Roy jumped off the roof and went to follow her.

As Roy hurried after the group, he could hear June babbling. "Is this all weapons money, or is this family money?" she asked. After receiving no answer, she began talking about something else. "Gardens! He likes gardens, huh? Do you guys do any gardening? August and I tried to start one once, but we don't have green thumbs…" Roy quickly grabbed a whip sitting on a saddle nearby and continued to run after them. He found himself a position and proceeded to wait.

It didn't take long. "…This really is a happy place. Look at these trumpet flowers. They…Okay, Eduardo, you don't have to pull me around. You can just tell me where you want me to go, okay?" Roy whipped the whip around one of the men's neck and pulled him out of sight. After that one was taken care of, he leaped to a different spot.

_Hang on, June. I'm coming. _"See, now we're communicating."

"Uh-huh," the head guy said.

"I bet you're taking me someplace safe and secure," June said. Roy had to laugh at that one as he killed another guy.

"Someplace special. Antonio's special place," the other man said.

"Antonio has a special place? That's so nice. Everyone should have a special place." Roy grabbed the last guy right as the man leading June turned around.

"Luis?" he asked.

"Is there a problem, Eduardo?" June implored innocently.

"_¡Callate!"_ Eduardo ordered while pointing his gun at her. Roy jumped down and disarmed him while June stood calmly by.

"Hi, Roy," she greeted.

"Hi, June," Roy said. "You're supposed to be home."

"You're supposed to be dead," June put in.

"I can explain," Roy replied.

"You don't have to," June said happily.

"I came here to get Simon. I just, you know, caught up with him. August's with him."

"That's cool." The other man pulled out a knife and tried to stab him, but Roy quickly threw him up against the other wall, making him drop the weapon. Roy was about to tell him something in Spanish, but June interrupted him.

"His name is Eduardo.Eduardo," she explained.

"_Eduardo. ¿Habla ingles?" _Roy asked. Eduardo nodded. Roy glared at him, more than a little ticked that he had almost shot June. "I need you to listen, because when you wake up, you're going to call your boss and you're going to tell him that Roy Miller, that's me, has the battery and escaped with the girl."

"You have the battery?" June put in.

"Yeah."

"Oh."

Roy turned back to Eduardo, slamming him harder into the wall for good measure. "You tell him I'm coming for him. _¿Comprende?"_

"Yes."

"Okay." Roy slammed him into the other wall, instantly knocking Eduardo out for at least fifteen minutes. "Let's go," he said to June. The two of them ran through the gardens back to the house. Roy was running a little faster than June, mostly because he was trying to make up lost time. And August and Simon were depending on him. Well, mostly Simon. August had probably escaped by now.

"I'm worried about Simon," he said mostly to himself. "I haven't seen him. My tracker has been spotty. At least August is with him now. She'll help him out." June said something, but he wasn't paying that much attention. "I took too long to get here."

"7:00," June said.

"What?"

"7:00," June repeated while nodding her head towards the position. Roy stood up and shot the man standing on the balcony over them. He pulled June off the ground and they ran into the house, Roy going first with his gun at ready. "I think I feel like having sex," June said offhandedly. She looked at him. "I think we'd have really great sex."

Roy raised an eyebrow._ They definitely gave her something._ "Did they give you something?" he asked.

June smiled. "Uh-huh."

Roy nodded, trying to hold back a laugh. "You should hydrate." He ducked into the other hallway, looking around for any other guards. He heard June say his name, but he was kind of busy and figured she could wait.

"Roy," June said. He still wasn't paying attention since he was trying to find an easy escape route. He ran to another entryway, searching for Tony's men. He looked to the side and realized June still hadn't moved.

"Roy," June hissed.

"June," he said while gesturing to get beside him. He hustled around the doorway, barely avoiding a few bullets. As he continued to get shot at, he saw that June was still standing in the other entryway. "June?" he called impatiently.

June looked upset. "You don't seem very happy to see me, Roy."

_Do you think that I'm going to seem happy when I just left Simon and August to come save you and while I'm getting shot at? _Roy thought. Instead he decided to reply with, "What?"

The blond shrugged her shoulders. "Not really."

Roy stood there for a moment, looking into her eyes. _Simon and August can wait. _He silently walked over to June, even with men shooting at him. He took off his sunglasses, walked right up to her, and kissed her with all the passion he could muster. June returned the kiss with the same fiery passion. Once they drew away, Roy smiled. "I am happy," he whispered.

~*O*~

I sat in the front seat of Fitz's car, resigning myself to my fate. Roy had to be dead, because he surely would have come to save Simon by now. And that meant that I was going to die very soon. _At least I know where I'm going._ All of a sudden, I heard a click from my door. I subtly turned to the side and realized that my door lock was up. "Thank you, Simon," I whispered.

Fitz luckily hadn't paid any attention to me since he had started the car, so I could quietly take off my seat belt with ease. Then, I pulled open the car door and dove out of the car, rolling to the side of the street. I got up and ran for my life down a side alley. "Catch me if you can, Fitz!" I screamed as I sprinted to another street.

For some reason, no one came after me. Apparently, I wasn't that important at the moment. I took this as a stroke of good luck and continued running. Then, I remembered something. "Simon!" I cried. I stopped right in my tracks. _If Roy is dead and June is captured, I'm the only one that can save him!_ I turned to the direction where the cars were heading. _I can't leave him to be forced to create weapons for Antonio for the rest of his life!_

I searched for anything I could use to catch up with the group, finally spotting some teenage boys waiting for the Running of the Bulls to start, hanging around on their motorcycles. I smiled, fluffed my hair, and strutted over. "Hi," I said with a grin. A couple of the boys' mouths dropped open. I gave a little wink, grabbed the handlebars of the nearest bike, hopped on, and took off. I ignored the shouts of the boys behind me and continued towards Simon. Luckily, I knew what Fitz's car looked like and had memorized the license plate.

_Hold on, Simon. I'm coming._

~*O*~

June and Roy were speeding through Sevilla on one of Antonio's motorcycles, hoping to get into the chase. "Where's August again?" June asked. The truth serum had begun to wear off by now.

"Fitz put her in his car," Roy explained. "But there's a good chance that she escaped."

"Do you think so?"

"I know so. She almost escaped my car in Boston. Besides, Simon would probably do anything to save her."

"That's true." June glanced down at the tracker and then up. "Roy, if we're the yellow dot and the red dot is Simon, then what's the purple dot?"

Roy had to smile. "The purple dot is August."

"Did you put a tracking device on her?"

"Yeah, on the way to the Azores. I figured that eventually you would want a way to know where she's at once she gets a boyfriend."

"Well, according to the tracker, she's coming up on us, fast."

"Is she with Simon?"

"No, she's coming from this side street…" The couple looked up to see a figure on a black motorcycle use a fruit cart as a ramp and fly into the air, blond hair streaming behind her. She landed and took off, racing down the street. June looked down at the tracker. "That was August."

Roy had to laugh. "She definitely has skills." He accelerated the bike and sped after their other companion. They heard shouts and saw two cars filled with henchmen chasing after them.

"Great." June muttered.

"Air time!" Roy yelled.

"Air time?" June repeated, alarmed. Roy used a set of stairs to propel them halfway down the street. They were right behind August. "August!" June shouted. "August!" The teenager turned around and looked at them in shock.

"Roy! June! You're alive!" she yelled.

"Let us get ahead of you," Roy ordered. "We know where they're going. Do you have a gun?"

August shook her head. As Roy and June passed her, June handed over a handgun. August took it and kept right behind them. The trio, finally back together, sped off after the last member of their team.

~*O*~

I was right behind Roy and June, struggling to not get shot. It also didn't help that Roy was a lot more experienced at driving a motorcycle than I was, and could take a lot of sharp turns at high speeds while I had to slow down. "There he is!" I heard June scream.

I looked up and saw the silver car that held Simon right in front of us. Unfortunately, Antonio had gotten in front of Fitz and convinced him to drive down a street filled with all of the young men that were going to "run with the bulls." "I've got a bad feeling about this," I murmured as we followed them.

As we drove down the street, all of the men thought that the run had started and ran after us. "Get out of the way!" I ordered as I almost ran over a couple. Then, I saw a lot of the other men running in the opposite direction-away from us. "Oh, no," I said. Sure enough, the bulls came next.

"Turn around, August! Turn around!" Roy yelled. I flipped my motorcycle around and sped in the opposite direction. The bulls were faster than us, but didn't try to gore us like I thought they would. That didn't mean that it didn't scare the crud out of me, though. It was only when I saw a bullet whiz off Roy and June's bike that I realized why the bulls weren't messing with us. A car full of henchmen were chasing us. I ignored them and focused on Simon.

I saw the silver car again. "There's Fitz!" I screamed.

"We see him!" June replied. We turned onto a side street, some of the bulls still after us. Roy quickly turned into another alley with me hot on his tail. This time, the bulls left us alone. But, Fitz almost ran us over and made us a permanent hood ornament. We barely managed to avoid him.

The good news was, we weren't dead. The bad news was, we were now in the bullfighting arena! "Shoot!" I yelled as I saw the bulls come racing in. _Great, I managed to not get executed by Antonio Quintana, but I'm going to die from getting gored by a bull!_ Roy simply turned his bike the way the bulls came in and I quickly followed, the deadly beasts right behind me.

"Roy, move!" I screamed. We drove right out of the arena to see Antonio sitting in his car. I gave him a smirk and a wave as I sped past him. He raised his gun to shoot me, but the bulls ran his car over before he could. I breathed a sigh of relief as the chase went on. We entered right behind Fitz, who was drawing closer to the river. The henchmen were right behind us and shooting relentlessly.

"August, get in front of us!" Roy yelled. "Once you do, keep driving! Don't stop!" I obeyed and hurried after Fitz. I heard Roy tell June to take the guns, causing me some worry. _Roy, don't you remember the last time you gave June a gun?_ I looked behind me to see that my cousin was basically straddling Roy and shooting rather well at the men. "August, look out!" Roy called.

I turned around and saw Eduardo shooting at me. "I don't think so!" I yelled. I pulled out my handgun, loaded it, and shot him right in the shoulder. As he fell, I heard a big ruckus and saw that June had shot the tires off one car which caused it to hit the other, causing one huge mess heading straight for Eduardo. I didn't look back to see what happened.

Roy swung June back around and we continued on to get Simon. I tucked my gun back in my waistband and allowed Roy and June to go ahead of me. I looked at Fitz's car and had to laugh when I saw that the panic alarm had gone off and the windshield wipers were going. _Go Simon! _The three of us passed Fitz on an opposite road, me pausing to blow him a kiss.

We sped through oncoming traffic before finally stopping on a bridge. June and Roy let their bike fall while I placed mine against the bridge. We all ran to the railing to see Fitz's car come to a stop. "See you down there," Roy told us.

"Are you sure?" June asked.

"No," Roy answered bluntly. He vaulted over the railing, landing in a kiosk below. I saw him get up and run towards the car. I found a spot below and prepared to jump.

"August, what are you doing?" June demanded. "I'm not going to let you try to kill yourself again!"

"I need to save Simon." I said. "I'm not about to let him get killed." With that, I leapt off the bridge and into another kiosk. _"¡Descupame!" _I yelled to the owner as I ran after Roy. I saw Fitz already had Simon and was leading him to a small floatplane nearby. My adrenaline kicked in and I grabbed onto a rope on a boat and swung to the dock below.

Fitz was yelling at Roy when I landed. "Freeze right there, Roy!" he said while pointing his gun at him.

"Hey, Simon," Roy greeted.

"Get down on your knees, now!" Fitz shouted to Simon.

"Roy," Simon answered with a wave. He then saw me. "August!" he called.

Fitz hadn't noticed me yet. Roy took his guns out of his pockets. "Put them in the water. In the water," Fitz ordered.

"We just want Simon, Fitz," I said calmly with my hands raised. Roy threw his guns in the water and joined me.

"Okay," Fitz said. "Well, I hope you brought what I want, otherwise I'm going to have to kill her. And I swear to you, I'll do it." He raised his gun to where it pointed to my heart. I bit my lip.

"No!" Simon yelled.

"Simon, it's okay," I said. "We'll give you the Zephyr. Just let Simon go."

"Fitz, she's just a girl. Leave her out of this," Roy ordered. "She's not involved with this."

"Oh, she's involved, Roy. She became involved when you used her cousin as a mule to get the Zephyr out of Wichita. She became involved when you didn't kill her on the flight that night. So don't tell me she's not involved!"

"Okay, okay," Roy replied. "I understand. I'm just going to get the battery." He reached into his pocket. "It's right here."

"See, we're giving you the battery," I said. "You don't have to shoot me."

"You just don't know when to give up, do you, August?" Fitz laughed. As soon as Roy held the Zephyr up, Fitz lowered his gun.

"August, get out of here," Roy ordered.

"No," I argued. "I'm not leaving you without backup."

"Don't give it to him, Roy," Simon begged. "Please don't give it to him. No, no."

"Put it on the deck," Fitz demanded. While Fitz was distracted with the Zephyr, I began to sneak around behind him to free Simon.

"Roy, Roy, don't give it to him!" Simon yelled. Fitz turned around and saw me.

"And what are you doing?" he asked. "Going to free your little boyfriend? Nothing personal, August, but…" He smiled. "This is for not cooperating, Simon." He raised his gun, there was a shot, then blistering, burning pain. I screamed and fell onto the dock. Fitz had shot me in the leg. I'll admit, I called him some not very nice things.

"Darn it, Fitz, we were only here for the kid! You didn't have to shoot her!" Roy yelled.

I was also screaming at Fitz, but not as nicely. Simon tried to get to me, but Fitz had a tight grip on him. "August! August!" Simon cried.

I slowly fought through the pain until I could roll over to face Simon. "I'm okay," I said. "I'll be fine."

"Now Roy, Simon, if you don't want her to be shot in an even worse place, you will give me the Zephyr right now!"

"Roy, give it to him!" Simon shouted.

"Shut it!" Fitz screamed, turning his gun on Simon.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Simon cried. Roy threw the Zephyr and Fitz caught it, heading to the floatplane. I managed to get myself into a sitting position. "Okay. Okay, I'll make another one. You don't understand," Simon said.

"Simon, don't talk," Roy and I ordered at the same time.

"I'll just make another one."

"Make another one?" Fitz mused. In the time it took for him to turn his head, Roy was already sprinting towards Simon. Fitz raised his gun at Simon.

I gasped and shut my eyes as the shot rang. I opened my eyes to see Roy kneeling over Simon and Fitz getting away. Anger rushed through me as I crawled to where I could get a good shot. I pulled out my gun and aimed. "Nothing…personal." The gun kicked in my hand as the bullet found its mark in Fitz's heart. He fell to the dock and the Zephyr rolled out of his hand and into the river below.

I crawled over to Simon and Roy. "Oh, Simon," I said as I kneeled beside him. He looked at both of us.

"Am I dying?" he asked Roy.

"No. You fainted," Roy replied.

"I'm sorry," Simon apologized.

"No, that's okay," I said. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"August, where were you hit?" Roy asked. I pointed to my right thigh. Roy tore off a piece of his jacket and tied it tightly around the area. "That way you won't bleed out."

"Roy, I've been trying to tell you…the battery…I messed up. It's deteriorating."

"I know. It's unstable," Roy said.

"Oh, no," I put in while looking at the water. All of a sudden, a large plume of water came from the bottom of the river, drenching all three of us. Roy smiled at us and we all laughed. June came running over.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked. She kneeled by Roy and put a hand on his shoulder. She gasped when her hand came away covered in blood. "Roy, you've been shot. August, Simon, go get help."

"But August was…" I cut Simon off.

"Come on!" I said, grabbing his hand and yanking him from the docks.

"August, you've been shot!"

"Shut up. I'm the only one out of all of us that can speak Spanish." Besides, my adrenaline had kicked in again and I couldn't even feel the pain anymore.

We started running through the crowded streets, me screaming the whole way. _"¿Cual es un medico? ¡Necesitamos un medico!" _I yelled.

Eventually, I got one woman to understand me and she pointed us to a doctor's office. My gunshot wound was burning, but I paid it no mind. I thought it was bleeding again, though. Simon started pounding on the door.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he called.

A man answered the door, seemingly annoyed. _"¿Si?" _he asked.

"_Perdon, señor. Nos ayuda, por favor. Nuestro amigo fue asesinado en los muelles y necesita ayuda." _I held my breath after I finished, hoping I had said it correctly.

The doctor nodded solemnly. "Come with me."

Simon and I got in the doctor's car and we rushed down to the docks. The doctor was on his cellphone with a rescue helicopter most of the time. Once we arrived, the doctor knelt over Roy and started examining his wound. I stood off to the side with Simon, trying to ignore the blood trickling down my leg and the horrible pain.

"August, please tell the doctor," Simon pleaded.

"Not until Roy is at the hospital," I said. All of a sudden, the pain in my leg suddenly increased and I involuntarily screamed before falling to the ground.

"August!" June cried as she ran to me. "August, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

I couldn't answer. I could only scream in agony.

"She was shot by Fitz," Simon answered for me. "But, she didn't tell anyone because she wanted Roy to get help first. I guess she was a lot worse off than he was." He kneeled beside me.

"August, babe, stay with us, okay? The doctor is going to get another helicopter for you. Just stay with us."

I wanted to stay with Simon and stare into his eyes, but my vision was already starting to fade. I laid there for a few minutes in darkness before everything began to fade. I heard Simon screaming my name and June sobbing and someone shaking me, but I couldn't do anything about it. I turned my head towards a bright light and smiled.

"_Mom…" _I whispered.

_**Oh no, is August dying? I don't know… But, there is only one or two chapters left until this story is over! :( Good news is, there will be a sequel called August's Story 2: Now You See Them… So you can speculate all you want about what will happen in that! (I will give you one location: Barcelona, Spain) So, keep on reading and reviewing everyone!**_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_Sevilla, Spain_

The doors of the trauma unit burst open as two teams of doctors and nurses propelled two stretchers down the hallway. On the first one, a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest was floating in and out of consciousness. If he made it to surgery on time, he would most likely make it.

It was the girl on the second stretcher that made the doctors worry. She had been shot close to the femoral artery, and had ruptured it. She had already lost a lot of blood and most of the doctors' methods didn't seem to help staunch it any. The teenager was unconscious from shock and blood loss, and her heart rate continued to decline.

"Get operating rooms one and two ready!" one of the doctors shouted.

Running behind the doctors were a blond woman and a young nerdy looking man. The woman was faster than the boy, and had a determined look on her face. Her companion was struggling to keep up with her. The two patients were pushed into their separate operating rooms, their friends right behind them. The woman and boy ran up to the window of the door that the girl had been led into, watching desperately for any sign of life from the independent teenager.

"Come on, August, fight," the blond whispered.

"June, I don't know if we're supposed to be here," the young man put in.

"Shut it, Simon. It's your girlfriend in there."

Inside the operating room, the physicians were having a hard time getting the girl stabilized. Her heart rate declined rapidly until it was one straight line. _Beeeeeeeep! _The heart monitor warned. A defibrillator was quickly brought forward. One doctor grabbed the paddles and rubbed them together. "Clear!" he yelled while forcing them on the teenager's chest. June was sobbing on the other side of the door as she watched August's slim body leap off the gurney.

Her heart still wasn't working. "Again!" the doctor ordered. He prepared for another try. "Clear!" He put the paddles on the girl's chest once more.

In the hallway, June was having a breakdown. Simon was the only thing keeping her from collapsing on the floor. An orderly came up to them. "Excuse me, but only authorized personnel are allowed to be this close to the operating rooms."

"Get out of my face," June demanded. "My cousin is dying on the other side of this door."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's standard protocol."

"June, I think we should listen to him," Simon said.

"I'm not leaving this spot until I know she's all right," June argued. "Do you understand?" she asked the orderly.

Eventually, security had to be called after June hit the orderly on the side of the head with a bedpan. They were brought to a private waiting room to wait for the results of Roy and August's surgeries. As soon as they were seated, June began to cry. Simon awkwardly sat beside her, not really sure how to deal with a crying woman. "Um, there, there," he said, patting her shoulder.

June wiped her eyes and sniffled. "Thanks, Simon. I'm just worried about August. Back there…" She trailed off as she started to bawl again. Simon just handed over the box of Kleenex and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"It'll be okay," he said. "She's a tough one. She'll beat this." The door opened and a man in surgical garb walked in. June tried not to notice some blood spotting his scrubs.

"Are you June Havens and Simon Feck?" the doctor implored.

"Yes," June replied weakly.

"I'm Dr. Ramirez," the man said. "I was the surgeon for your friend, Roy. Don't worry, we managed to fix him up and he's in recovery now. You'll be able to see him in about an hour."

"That's great," Simon said. "But what about August Havens? She was brought in around the same time."

"I don't know since she's not my patient," Ramirez answered. "I think Dr. Sanchez is her surgeon. You'll have to wait on him. But, I have other surgeries to attend to. A nurse will come get you when Roy is out of recovery." He left the room. June sighed.

"I honestly don't know if I should be disappointed or relieved," she admitted. "Roy's okay, but we still don't know if August made it. The last time we saw her, they were struggling to get her heart to beat."

"August is strong," Simon replied. "Do you think one bullet is going to stop her?"

June didn't get a chance to answer since the door opened and a woman they thought they'd never see again came strolling into the room. Isabel George sat down on a chair opposite them.

"Hello, June, Simon," she greeted. "Can one of you tell me what's going on?"

~*O*~

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by white. I sat up from where I was lying on the ground and saw that I was in a room that looked exactly like the Intersect room from _Chuck.__** (Look up "Chuck intersect room" on YouTube so you know what I'm talking about. Click on the first video.)**_ "What the heck…" I muttered. I stood up.

"Hello?" I called. "Is anybody here?" No one answered. I went to look for a door, but tripped on something underneath my feet. I realized that my clothes had been replaced with a long white dress. _Well, that's just great. _I hiked the dress up above my knees and went to find a door. No such thing.

_What happened to me? _All I could remember was collapsing on the dock after getting Roy help. I looked down at my thigh and saw that my wound had disappeared and there was no pain. _What is going on? _I saw something turn on in the corner of my eye and saw that one of the wall panels was showing images. I gasped when I took a closer look.

It was me. I was lying on the wooden dock and Simon and June were trying to stop the blood flowing from my wound. My head was in Simon's lap and he was silently pleading with me to wake up. Another panel turned on, showing me and Roy being airlifted to a hospital in Sevilla. Simon was holding my hand the whole ride. I caught a glimpse of what he was saying.

"_August, please wake up. I just met you and I know this is crazy, but I think you're the most beautiful girl I've met and well, I love you. I really, really do. So, please just wake up so I can say it to your face."_

I could feel tears flowing down my cheeks as I realized what had happened to me. _I'm dead. Either that or I'm in _Chuck. One more panel revealed me in the present: a pale girl lying on a stretcher in a room, connected to numerous tubes and wires. A doctor was looking sadly at me.

"_It's a good chance that she might not wake up. But, it's all up to her." _

"I'm right here!" I screamed. "I'm alive! I'm not dead!" I hit the monitor. "Wake up!" I yelled to my present self. "You're not dead!" I leaned my head against the panel, sobbing like a baby.

"Please wake up," I whispered. "Please let me wake up."

Just then, I heard a door open. I turned around and saw someone that I thought I wouldn't see for a long time in front of me. "Mom?" I managed to choke.

It was my mother. But, instead of having worry lines etched into her forehead and being frail from recovering from a bad illness, she looked young and carefree. I ran into her arms, continuing to cry. "Shh, it's all right, August," my mom said while stroking my hair. "You're okay."

"I don't want to be dead, Mom," I sobbed. "I'm only fifteen!"

She continued to stroke my hair. "Sweetheart, you're not supposed to be dead. It was a mistake. You're not supposed to be here."

I looked up at her. "I'm not?"

"No. You were meant to survive that gunshot. A twist of fate put you here instead. It is still your choice if you want to stay here with me and your father, though."

I thought about it for a moment, looking at the screen of Simon proclaiming his love for me. "I want to go back. There are people there that need me," I replied. My lip quavered. "Mom, you must be so disappointed in me. I've lied, stole, and even murdered. How can you even look at me?"

My mother lifted up my chin. "You only did those things because you had to, August. And even though you committed those crimes, you are still my daughter. You always will be." She lightly kissed my forehead. "It's time for you to go."

I nodded. "Mom, can you do one thing for me?"

"What?"

I gave a soft smile. "Tell Dad I love him."

"Sweetheart, he already knows. But, I will."

"Thank you." I hugged her tightly. "I love you."

"I love you more." There was a bright light and I felt my mother fading away, along with the room. I looked behind me and saw my lifeless body lying on a hospital bed a few feet away. I smiled and began to sprint towards her.

"_I'm coming, Simon."_

~*O*~

When I opened my eyes, all I could see was white. _Oh gosh, did I die again? _My vision focused and I realized with relief that it was only the white ceiling of my hospital room. _I'm alive!_ My celebration was cut short when I felt the throbbing pain in my right leg. _I forgot about that._ It wasn't helping that there was something on top of my wounded leg, either.

I looked down and saw a young man lying across my hospital bed and on top of my leg. As soon as I noticed the glasses in his hand, I knew who he was. "Simon!" I whispered hoarsely. My voice was shot from not being used for so long. He was fast asleep and hadn't heard me. Using what little strength I had in my foot, I nudged him, ignoring the pain. "Simon!" I said a bit louder. Finally, I kicked him in the arm. "Darn it, Simon, get off my leg before I cut off yours!"

Simon sat straight up and almost fell out of the chair he was sitting in. He put on his glasses and gasped. "August?"

"No, it's August's ghost. What do you think?" Simon smiled.

"Well, at least your sarcasm is intact," he laughed.

"Yeah…How long have I been out?"

"About two days."

My eyes grew wide. "Two days! Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

"You were in a coma the first day. The doctors thought you weren't ever going to wake up. Your heart stopped three times on the operating table when they brought you in, so they figured putting you in a coma would be the only thing to save your life. Your heart rate continued to fall and everyone thought you were well, going to die. But, all of a sudden, you stabilized and your pulse started to rise. You had a lot of tubes in you at first, but they took those out yesterday. We were just waiting for you to wake up on your own."

I couldn't believe it. I knew I had been hurt, but I didn't think it had been that bad. "At least I'm still here."

"You could've recovered faster if you would've just let me get help and you stayed behind at the docks." He sighed. "August, when Fitz shot you, he nicked your femoral artery. When you ran for help, you tore it more. It ruptured when we got back to the docks. If we hadn't been there, you would have bled out in seconds." He took a shaky breath. "And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that had happened."

"Simon, it was my choice to go get help," I answered. "It wasn't your fault. Besides, you know that you can't argue with me." I leaned in close to him. "You'll lose," I whispered. He shivered involuntarily.

"June is going to have a fit that she wasn't here when you woke up," Simon laughed. "She just left to get a cup of coffee. She's been sitting here ever since you got out of surgery. I've been having an awful time trying to get her to at least get some sleep."

I smiled. "June's a lot like me. We're both stubborn and don't like following orders."

Simon opened his mouth to reply, but the door opened. We whipped around and saw Director George walking in. "Simon, can you please give me and August a few minutes alone?"

"No," Simon said. "I'm not leaving her alone with you."

"Simon, just do what she says," I ordered. "I'll be okay," I added reassuringly.

He got up from the chair and quietly left the room. The director sat down in his place. "So, I heard that you've had an exciting couple of days."

"If you think dying three times is exciting," I retorted.

"That is true. You are very lucky to be here."

I looked her in the eye. "Director George, I know that you want something from me. So, please cut the small talk and get to the point."

"All right, August. But please call me Isabel. You've earned it."

"Okay…Isabel."

"Well, I'll finally get to the point. To put it simply, you are in a lot of trouble."

"What?" I cried.

"August, you murdered a federal agent in cold blood. We have your fingerprints from the gun that killed Fitz. And Simon attested to the fact that he saw a glimpse of you shooting him."

I was shocked. _I can't lie, she'll see right through me! _"Isabel, you've got to understand. Fitz shot me and Roy. When he shot Roy, I thought he was shooting Simon instead. Plus, he was getting away with the Zephyr. I had a right to stop him!"

"That doesn't mean that you had a right to kill him, though. Besides, you have committed numerous other crimes. Grand theft auto, operating a weapon without a permit, resisting arrest, I could go on and on." I stared down at the floor. _I'm so doomed. I'm probably going to go to jail for the rest of my life without a decent trial, never have a chance with Simon, June will probably die from the stress of trying to get me out…_

I was too busy thinking about my dreary future and barely heard Isabel's next words. "…there is one way to get the charges dropped, though."

I snapped out of my thoughts. "How? I'll do anything!"

The director smiled. "That's what I thought. All charges against you will be dropped if you agree to be recruited into the CIA."

My mouth dropped open. "What? The CIA!"

"August, you have showed incredible skills during these past couple of weeks. Even Miller didn't have ones like that at his age. The CIA would be honored to have you in our agency to help fight for our country. All you have to do is say yes."

I bit my lip. It was a great opportunity, and one that would potentially save me from a pretty bleak future. But then I remembered the Knights. How they lost their son in an "accident," how they had to live with the fact that their only child would never be seen again. I thought of June and Simon. _I can't leave June. I'm the only thing holding her together. And Simon…I'm the only person in his life that truly cares about him._

I had made my decision. "Isabel, this is a wonderful offer, and I greatly appreciate it, but the truth is…I can't leave my family and friends. I can't leave my whole life behind to join an agency where I have to change myself. And honestly, my identity is all I have left if I go to jail. And I'd rather keep that than lose who I am."

Isabel seemed to be a little ticked at me. "Well, if that's your choice. You will be remanded into the custody of the United States government as soon as you've recovered. I hope that you have enough time to say goodbye to your loved ones." She got up and left the room. As soon as she was gone, I buried my head into my hands. _What have I done?_

~*O*~

Isabel was furious when she left August's room. "She has a chance to be free, but throws it away for her family! How crazy is she?" She marched to the next person on her list: Roy Miller. She opened his door and found him sitting up in bed, looking at her curiously.

"Rough day?" he asked.

"Yes, I mean no."

Roy didn't believe her. "Isabel, I heard everything that you said to August."

"How…"

"You didn't think that I wouldn't find a way to bug her room? I have friends everywhere, Isabel. You know that." His gaze grew hard. "Do not recruit her. She's not strong enough. If you put her in the field, she won't survive."

"She has exceptional talents, Roy. You can't deny that."

"Yes, but she's a teenager. She has a future that doesn't involve becoming an agent or changing who she is. She has people who care about her. It would be a lot harder for her to leave them behind." He sighed. "What if I offer you a deal?"

Isabel was confused. "What kind of deal, Roy?"

The man sighed. "If you leave August alone, I will come back to the agency without a fight. I won't try to retire early; I'll stay as long as you want. I won't try to escape transport like I was planning on." He looked down. "I'll even leave June behind."

The director was shocked. _He's serious. I've seen the way he looks at that girl. He'd never leave her unless he was dead. But now…_ She knew Roy wasn't lying. She had been trained to read people. If he said he was going to do something, he'd do it. "Fine, Roy. I'll leave August alone. But only because I know that you will keep this deal."

Roy nodded. "I will. August has skills, but you would probably need to put her through training. That would take what, three months or more? You take me back, I'll be back in the field within a week."

"Okay. You'll leave in a couple of hours. Transport's already on its way. I'll tell August that all the charges were dropped and I'll inform June…"

"You will inform June of nothing," Roy interrupted. "I want to tell her to move on. If you tell her, she'll only come looking for me, especially if you tell her that I died because she'll know you're lying. I'll get her off your back."

Isabel shook her head. "No, Roy. You're already too attached to this girl. It will only make it harder for her if you tell her goodbye. I will." She got her things and left the room. Roy tried to get up and follow her, but forgot that he had been handcuffed to his bed. He pulled on the restraint with frustration before sighing.

_Goodbye, June. I hope that you never forget me. I'm sorry that I never got to tell you how I really feel._

~*O*~

I was silently sitting in my hospital bed, clutching my mother's locket. _They'll be coming any minute for me. To arrest me for killing a man in self-defense! _I quietly rubbed the metal object between my fingers, trying to keep myself calm. Just then, June burst into my room.

"August! You're okay!" she cried while wrapping me into a hug.

"June…I…can't…breathe!" I choked.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot."

I smiled. "It's fine. But June, I really need to tell you something."

"Of course. What is it?"

"You see, June, I'm in a lot of trouble…" The door opened and Isabel came in. _I really need to get a lock for that thing. People keep barging in on me. _I glared at the director. "What do you want now, Isabel? Am I going to be executed instead of going to jail? Or disappear off the face of the earth? Or maybe be forced into your agency instead?"

"August, what are you talking about?" June cried.

"June, if you must know, I am about to be arrested for killing Agent Fitzgerald because this idiot of a woman does not seem to understand that I killed him in s_elf-defense!" _

June was shocked. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell onto the floor. Isabel did not seem to be amused. "Did you really have to say that?" she asked.

"Yes, and it felt very good, too," I answered.

"Well, I was just coming to tell you that all of the charges against you have been dropped. But, if you really want to go to jail, I can get you charged again."

A huge weight seemed to drop off my shoulders. _I'm free! _"No, I'm good, really. I'm sorry that you had to hear that."

Isabel smiled. "Apology accepted. But August, I would really like it if you at least considered my offer." She pulled a business card out of her purse and handed it to me. "My phone is always on and we would be very happy if you joined our agency."

I also smiled. "Thank you, Isabel. I will at least consider it." I made a mental note to burn the business card at the next convenient moment. And maybe shoot a couple pictures of Isabel next time I went to the shooting range.

"You're welcome, August. Now, it was a pleasure meeting you…" She shook my hand. "…but I have to catch a flight back to D.C. So, I have to go."

"Excuse me, but what will happen to Roy and Simon?" I implored. "What are you going to do with them?"

"Roy is going back to the CIA, where he belongs," Isabel replied matter-of-factly. "And Simon is going to his new lab. He'll be very happy there, August. It's his element."

I felt like I was going to smack her. _Simon doesn't want to go back there! He wants to be with me! _"Can I at least tell Simon goodbye, please? I won't make it too hard for him."

Isabel thought about it for a moment, but relented. "Fine, I'll have him brought in here."

"Thank you."

A few minutes later, Simon was brought into my room. By then, I had called a nurse who was currently tending the large goose egg on June's head. I gave him a watery smile as he walked towards me. _I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry… _"Hi," I managed to say.

Simon sat down in the chair next to me. "Hi." He took my hand and rubbed it. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Much better now that you're back."

"What did Isabel want?"

I bit my lip. I couldn't really tell him the truth-she was his boss, after all! "She just wanted my statement on what happened in Sevilla."

"That makes sense. She got mine yesterday. She probably just needs to get her report in soon."

I nodded. "So, you're going back to Wichita?"

Simon sighed. "I don't really know. They haven't told me yet." He leaned in closer to me. "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you."

"Simon, I'll be okay. It's you I'm worried about."

"I survived almost two years in that lab. I can survive a few more."

"Life isn't about surviving, Simon. It's about living."

"I will live, eventually. Just think, in a little more than three years, my five years of service will be up, and they'll let me go. Then, we can be together. We just have to be patient."

For some reason deep in the back of my mind, I knew that the CIA wouldn't just "let him go." He was an asset because of his mind, and they needed him. I wasn't going to tell Simon that, though. It would probably freak him out even more. I just smiled. "And we will. I bet those years will just fly."

"I'm glad that you feel that way," Simon replied.

Tears were growing in the corners of my eyes. "I'm going to miss you," I said quietly.

Simon put his arms around me. "And I'll miss you." He gently kissed me. I was holding back tears as I returned it.

"Don't forget me," I ordered. "I know how you get around your mechanical toys."

"I won't. I promise."

A man leaned his head inside. "It's time to go."

"Okay, I'm coming," Simon replied. He looked at me. "I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess." I slowly removed his arms from around my waist. "I hope that we can keep in touch."

"We will. I'll find a way." He got up from his chair and went to the door. "Bye, August."

I managed to smile. "Bye, Simon," I whispered.

As he vanished from view, the floodgates broke. I had held it together long enough, and now every line of defense had been torn down. _Great August, you manage to not give in when you're about to be executed or when you thought both Roy and June were dead in Portugal, but when one guy leaves, you're a bloody mess! _I ignored the voice, but tried to not cry as loud.

The rest of the day flew by in a blur. A couple of doctors stopped by to check how I was doing and examine my leg. They seemed pleased that I had been able to wake up fine with no ill effects and that my wound was healing well. The only thing I really had to worry about was infection, according to them. Also, I might need to have some physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in my right leg since I wouldn't be using it as much for a while. I listened carefully to their instructions since I wanted to get better sooner.

June came in around six with dinner. We both ate silently, immersed in our thoughts. I was plagued with thoughts of Simon, while June was upset that she hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to Roy. Needless to say, we picked at our food.

After we finished our meal, June wanted to spend the night in my room, but I insisted that she go back to her hotel to get a better night's sleep in a real bed instead of a chair. Once she left, I fell into a fitful, restless sleep. I was interrupted a couple of times by annoying nurses that needed to check my vital signs and redress my thigh. I was mad that I had to wake up, but knew that they were just doing their job.

The next morning, another doctor came in and checked out my bullet wound. "You should be fine to be released, August," he said as he rewrapped the disgusting thing. "The only thing I'm worried about is infection, but I'll send you with a prescription that should help prevent that. You just need to clean it twice a day for a week and keep clean wrappings on it. No swimming for at least two weeks, and don't get it wet in the shower for a couple of days. Okay?"

"All right." I was given permission to be released that afternoon, to my relief. I was ready to go back to Boston. June came back to the hospital in time to sign the papers that meant that I could leave. The government had already arranged for a private plane to take us back to the States.

Since I couldn't really walk (I was still sore and stiff.), I was brought out of the hospital in a wheelchair. June helped me into the rental car and we drove to the airport. Sevilla was still unbearably hot, and I could feel myself sweating. At the airport, June and another agent (this one named Agent Regan) assisted me up the steps into the plane. I was settled onto a large sofa and my leg was put up on some pillows. I sighed happily. _That feels good. _

June got my pills that I needed to take (antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatories) and a large glass of water. I took them and ate some crackers so my stomach wouldn't get upset. I don't remember most of the trip since the painkillers made me drowsy and I fell asleep on the comfy sofa.

When I woke up, we were over Boston. "June?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do now?"

"I guess go home. Live a normal life." She was quiet as she spoke.

"Okay." I looked out the window at the city that was getting closer and closer. _There were so many things I wanted to tell you, Simon. That I saw you proclaim your love for me, that you're probably going to be trapped by the government, and well…that I like you, too. _I stared at Boston as the tarmac got closer and closer.

_Nobody said it was easy._

_It's such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy._

_No one ever said it would be this hard._

_I'm going back to the start._

_**End of chapter 14! Well, there will be one more chapter after this one to make it fifteen. I've had such an incredible journey with this story, and I'm so excited to write the sequel! (It's been planned for about a year-I wrote out an outline last summer.) I apologize that August wasn't as kickbutt like she usually is, but she did have a near-death experience and lost two people close to her. This was a more emotional chapter than anything. I promise that next chapter will be so much better! **_

_**Also, the song at the end is "The Scientist" by Coldplay. I was listening to it as I wrote the end of this chapter and thought it fit the mood of the chapter. Another song that fits the mood of August's seeing her mother again is "Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson. One more thing before I go: Which actress do you envision August as? My pick is on the cover and I'll reveal her to you next chapter. But, I want to hear your opinion! Keep reading and reviewing guys!**_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_Boston, Massachusetts_

June and I entered our townhouse, me on crutches. I sighed with relief as I sat down on the couch. _I'm home. _June seemed restless as she paced around the living room. "What is it?" I asked annoyingly as I watched her.

"I don't think Roy would leave without saying goodbye," she said mostly to herself. "Simon was allowed to say goodbye to August, but Roy wasn't to me? That doesn't make sense. He likes me, I know he does. We kissed in Spain."

"June, what if Roy didn't want to say goodbye?" I asked. "Maybe he didn't want to make it harder for you."

"It wouldn't be hard if he had said something," she muttered.

"Well, what do you want to do?" I asked. "Track him down and force him to say goodbye? He went back to the CIA, June. There's no way _to _track him down! He's a ghost!"

"There's always a way." She ran to her laptop and started typing rapidly. The gears in my head began to turn. _Roy's hurt. You can't recover from a bullet to the chest that easily. He's probably at a…_

"Hospital!" June and I cried at the same time.

"Check army and federal hospitals in D.C.," I ordered. "Director George was catching a flight back there."

"Then what? I call them and ask if there's a Roy Miller registered there? They'll lie! They'll know it's me looking for him!"

"Kara," I whispered.

"What?" June asked.

I ran to our phone and dialed the number I had memorized. _Please answer, please answer. "Hello?"_

"Kara? Kara, it's August."

"_August? What is it? What's wrong? I told you not to use this number unless it was an emergency!"_

"It's Roy, Kara. He went back to the CIA."

"_What? They'll kill him!"_

"What do you mean? Why would they kill him?"

"_August, he went rogue. They can't trust him. They'd never put him back in the field. He'll be dead the moment he sets foot on American soil." _She paused for a moment. _"But, he knows that. Why would he be so stupid to go back?"_

I gasped. "Because of me."

"_What are you talking about?"_

June had a stricken look on her face. "He went back to protect you. He made a deal." I turned back to the phone.

"Kara, Roy's probably at a hospital in D.C. I need to know which one, _now!"_

"_August, you're not planning on going after him, are you? You'll get caught! Roy wouldn't want you to get yourself killed!"_

"Give me the name of the hospital, Kara!"

"_No, August. I won't let you get caught or killed."_

"Kara, Roy is in this situation because of me. If he dies, his blood is on my hands. _Now give the name of the hospital!"_

"_Okay, okay. He's at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Just be careful, okay?"_

I smiled. "I will. Thanks, Kara." I hung up and looked at June. "Are you ready for a road trip?"

June grinned. "Heck yeah."

An hour later, we were in June's recovered GTO, driving south to Washington. We had grabbed only a few basic necessities and were going at least fifteen miles over the speed limit as we sped towards the hospital. I painfully crawled into the backseat and pulled out a bag. "What's in there, August?" June asked.

"Something I hope to not use," I answered. I picked a pistol up out of the bag and loaded a fresh magazine in it.

"A gun, August? Really? Remember what happened the last time you used one of those? You almost ended up in jail!"

"We are breaking into a secure facility, June. We will need some form of defense," I argued. "Besides, it's a tranq gun. It will only knock out people, not kill them."

"Oh. That makes me feel better, then."

We continued to drive and I thought about Simon. I had no idea where he was, and it was a stroke of luck that we were able to find Roy. _I will find you some day, Simon. I promise. _

~*O*~

_Walter Reed Army Medical Center_

_Washington, D.C._

We eventually made it to the medical center and parked in a secluded area nearby. We put on some scrubs that we had from one of our friends who was a doctor and had given some to me. (I used to want to be a doctor.) I tried not to laugh at June's boots that she wore underneath the scrubs. I left my crutches in the car and tried not to limp as we walked to the hospital. Kara had given me access to a program that made fake ID's and I had made two for me and June.

We walked into the hospital and had to go through a metal detector, along with getting our ID's checked. Mine said that I was an intern and June's was for a nurse. Luckily, the guards didn't look too closely and my gun stayed safely hidden. After making it past security, we strolled up to a reception desk where a nurse was sitting at a computer. She looked up at us. "How can I help you?" she asked.

I looked at her name tag. "Well Tori, you're needed to wait the desk in cardiology. They're a gal short," I lied. I had chosen cardiology since it was the furthest away from our current location.

The nurse sighed. "They always are. Thanks." She got up and walked away. I couldn't believe it. It had worked! I quickly sat down at the computer.

"What are you doing?" June asked.

"Looking up the patient registry," I answered.

"Do you think they'd actually keep Roy's name on it?"

"I don't know, but I'm willing to try." I found the registry and started searching desperately for his name. "Come on, come on." I kept reading but found nothing. I read over the list again. Nothing. I hit the desk. "She lied to us," I whispered angrily. "I wouldn't be surprised if the CIA is waiting to arrest us right now!" I put my head in my hands.

"Wait…" June said. She leaned in and looked closely at the list. She smiled. "Look." I glanced up and saw the name she was pointing at. I grinned too.

"Matthew Knight," I read.

"Room number's 507," June put in.

"Okay, let's go!"

We closed out of the program and hurried to a supply cabinet to find the brotine-zero Roy had used on June. That was June's idea-I just wanted to tranq him since it was faster. June was worried about the noise, though, so she won. "Do you think that they'd keep it out in the open?" I asked as I searched through the various drugs.

"I don't know, just keep looking."

I eventually found it inside a fridge. June grabbed a cup, a tray, and hair things for the two of us. I tucked my blond hair inside of it and we walked out into the hallway. I swiped a medical cart so June looked like she was delivering medicine to patients. I was supposed to stand guard once we got to Roy's room, so I quietly took a clipboard from a nurse's desk.

We made our way to the fifth floor, trying to avoid the glances of various soldiers standing guard in the hallways. We were about to Roy's door when my heart almost stopped. Isabel George walked out of room 507, heading towards the elevators. "June, get back!" I hissed, waving my arm. The two of us stayed hidden around the corner until she was inside an elevator. "Remember, try to hide your face from the cameras," I said.

June pushed her cart into the room while I remained outside, pretending to write notes on my clipboard. _Come on, June, hurry up. _I kept my head down, not wanting to get caught on one of the security cameras. I peeked around the doorframe and saw Roy looked a little funny. He turned around to look at June.

"Nurse, what did you give me?" he asked.

June moved from the heart monitor she was turning off. "Brotine-zero," she replied. Roy looked surprised to see her as he fell onto the bed, unconscious. I went into the room. June was sort of shocked.

"What do we do now?"

"Get the blanket over him," I commanded. "We'll make him look dead." June pulled out Roy's IVs and pulled his blanket over his face so he appeared to be dead. "Let's hope they don't look too close," I said. _And let's hope that Isabel doesn't look at the security footage that close, either._

"We probably should split up," June put in. "They'll be looking for two girls, not one. You go to the car, and I'll take Roy out the back way. I'll meet you there."

"Okay," I replied. "See you there." I slipped out the door and headed the opposite direction of June and Roy. I continued to stare at my clipboard as I walked through the hallway. I made it to the front door and was about to leave when I noticed a soldier staring at me. I began to walk quicker. All of a sudden, a hand gripped my shoulder. I cried out and whipped around to see the same soldier. My hair thing fell off to reveal my blond hair.

The soldier gasped. "You're August Havens!" He reached for his radio, but I grabbed my gun and shot him in the leg. He let loose of me and I pulled the dart out before running from the scene. I had used twilight tranquilizers, which made the victim forget the last five minutes. He wouldn't remember me at all. I had to smile as I ran to where we parked the car. _I made it. _

June came a few minutes later, half dragging Roy. I helped her put him in the back seat and we took off. "June, what are we going to do now?" I asked. "We can't really take Roy to Boston with us. That's the first place they'll look."

"I know," June answered, not taking her eyes off the road. "That's why we're not going back to Boston."

"What?" I exclaimed. "Then where are we going?"

June sighed. "August, Roy and I aren't going back to Boston. You are."

"What…why?" I cried. "I have as much right as you do to run off!"

"But, you have a future still, August. You have high school and college ahead of you. You can't just run and abandon a perfectly good future!"

"But, you'll abandon me?" I yelled. "You'll go and elope with Roy and leave me to deal with the consequences? The CIA won't leave me alone, June. I'm as good as dead if you leave me behind!"

"August, you'll be fine. You're strong." She looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "I promised your father that night in the hospital that I would never, ever, let anything bad happen to you. And that means that I won't lead you into a life filled with nothing but lies. You will be safe in Boston. I'll leave you with April."

I sniffled. "Safe and secure?" I asked with a watery smile.

"Safe and secure," June answered.

"June, the CIA won't leave me be. They'll pester me until I tell them where you guys are. Maybe they'll even kidnap me to use as bait."

"If I leave you behind, Isabel and the others will know that you aren't a part of our group any more. They'll think that you know nothing. And you won't, since I'm not telling you where we're going."

I thought about this for a moment. "I just hope that they won't find some reason to arrest me."

"They won't. We kept a low profile tonight. I don't even think that they saw us on the cameras."

"I hope so." I noticed that June had pulled into the parking lot of the Washington, D.C. airport. "You were planning this all along, weren't you?"

June nodded and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a piece of paper. "Here's your boarding pass. I bought it before we left." She got some money out of her purse. "Use this to take a taxi to April's apartment. I slipped a note into your purse for her."

"I guess this is it," I said as I took the things from her. "We'll probably never see each other again, will we?"

"If it all works out, no," June replied. "I've got to go, though. Roy and I need a good head start if we're going to miss the roadblocks."

"Oh, yeah, of course." I reached over to give her a hug. "I'll miss you, Junebug," I said, using the nickname I gave her when I was five.

"And I'll miss you, August."

"Tell Roy that he better treat you right. Or I'll track the two of you down and I'll beat him up!"

June laughed. "I will."

I gave her one last hug and climbed out of the car. "Bye, June."

"Bye, August."

I closed my door and walked towards the airport. Just like the door, that chapter of my life was closed. Another one was about to begin. I only had to get on the plane to start it.

~*O*~

_Boston, Massachusetts_

"Thanks," I said to the cab driver as I handed him my fare. "Keep the change," I added.

"Wow, thanks, lady!" The cab drove off and I found myself standing in front of April's apartment building. I took a deep breath and sat on the front step.

"I don't have to stay here," I muttered. "I could go back to the townhouse." But deep in my mind, I knew that wasn't meant to be. The rent would be up soon and I had no means to pay for it. I had to go into that building. It was my only choice. I was just happy that April and Ben were waiting to go on their honeymoon.

I sighed and rang April's bell. She probably wouldn't be very happy to see me at four in the morning. As I waited, I thought of the long night I had just went through. I had freed a man that I had grown to love as family, said goodbye to one of the only family members I had left, and taken a red eye flight back to Boston. I was exhausted, but physically could not sleep.

The door opened and there was April, rubbing her eyes. They grew wide when she saw me. "August? What are you doing here?" She gasped. "Is something wrong with June?"

"Umm…I need a place to stay tonight, April."

"You can stay with us. The couch folds out…but what's going on?"

"I'll tell you when we get inside."

"All right." She let me in and we climbed up the stairs to her apartment. April sat me down at her dining room table. "Okay, what's going on? Why are you here in the middle of the night and where's June?"

"Well, it's a long story," I said.

"We have plenty of time. I don't have to go to work until eight."

I took a deep breath. "You might want to sit down, then." April obeyed, leaning her chin into her hands. "It all started when June and I ran into a man on the way home from Wichita. His name was Roy Miller…"

_**The End!**_

_**All right everyone! This concludes the first book of August's Story! Wow, I think this is my favorite story that I've written ever. I hope that you were satisfied with the ending-don't worry, I promise that August will be reunited with Roy and June eventually. I plan to make this series a trilogy so there will be plenty of August to love! I'd like to thank all my reviewers that gave lots of constructive criticism and encouragement, especially the awesome Guest reviewers! You guys are great!**_

_**For a sneak peek, I will release the "trailer" for the next book in a few days. (It will be tied to the end of this book.) I hope that you will enjoy it! **_

_**Oh, and the actress I chose for August? Her name is Britt Robertson and has been in two TV series: Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle. There were lots of actresses that I liked, but I couldn't see any of them with a gun. She was the only one that I could see fighting and firing a gun. Okay, so this is the end of this book! Goodbye, everyone! **_


	16. Exciting News!

Hi everyone!

I'd like to share some important news with you! For starters, I finally finished my first novel! It is called _Wanted_ and covers the story of August Havens in a brand new way that you would never expect. Here's a brief summary: August loses her parents in a car accident when she is fifteen. All of a sudden, the government is after her and she has no idea why since her memories of the tragic event vanished once she woke up. She is saved from this fate by Aaron Steele, a friend of her father's. Now with the help of her new allies, August must unlock the memories of the worst night of her life and find out her parents' secrets in order to discover the truth about herself.

Pretty cool, right? The book will be released sometime next month! It will be sold on Amazon and Kindle for sure and hopefully Barnes & Noble and other major bookstores will choose to pick it up as well! It has been such a fun ride for me and I've really enjoyed it! This also (sadly) means that I won't be working on the August stories on because the two series are very different. But I hope you guys will pick up a copy of _Wanted _by Shelby Haisley once it is published. It will be the first of a four book series plus I'm planning on writing a prequel. Thank you everyone for your love and support with August and thank you for supporting me. See you around!

Aly Holloway (aka Shelby Haisley)


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